Breaking Even
by SoraxKairi7
Summary: HIATUS. Kairi hasn't seen Sora, her high school crush in ten years. When they meet again at their high school reunion, a friendship forms that eventually leads to more. Kairi gets pregnant, but there's one problem: she doesn't want the baby, and neither does he. WARNING: Sensitive topics.
1. one

**one.**  
o-o-o-o

Kairi sat bunched between various conversations of former classmates, all reminiscing about the past and trying to 'up' one another on the present.

"You're a fitness instructor? No way! You could barely even throw a ball in gym class!" exclaimed one of the girls. Kairi wished Namine would have joined her in this lovely ten-year class reunion, but her best friend and roommate simply wasn't into it. She sat at the corner of the couch, watching others interact.

"Hey, Kairi, right?" a guy she recognized as Tidus asked. He was hosting this reunion in his "bachelor pad," on the eighth floor of a high-end apartment complex. He didn't look too much different from high school, and she was surprised he even remembered her name. She heard he started his own business, and obviously, it seemed to be working out. Kairi nodded. "Yo! How have you been?!" He slapped her, rather hard on the back.

"Uh, I've been good," she said, still recovering from the hit. He got distracted by someone else and left. Typical.

But there was one person that wasn't there. Kairi thought about leaving, since she had already been here for three hours, and it was nearing ten o'clock. Saturday night or not, she was tired. And it wasn't like she really cared much about the remaining classmates. Most of them didn't even know who she was, so why stick around? Her phone buzzed.

 _"I figured you may be out late tonight, so I took Pepper with me. See you tomorrow!"_

Kairi sighed and put her phone away. Drinks were being passed around like candy. Tidus and his friends were getting so loud, that she wondered if the soundproof walls really worked.

"What kind of business do you run again? It can't be legal, man!"

"Dude, I sell real estate stuff…" Tidus said, chugging another shot of something. He then burst into laughter for no reason.

She felt like the only sober person in a sea of drunks. This was pointless. Just as Kairi reached for her purse, the doorbell rang.

"Someone get that!" Tidus called out. "If it's my stupid neighbor, uh, invite them in!"

Some girl opened the door and squealed. "Oh my God! Sora!"

Kairi froze.

"Dude, who?" Tidus and his friends hurried to the kitchen, where sure enough, Sora Yamada stood. "DUDE! IT'S BEEN AGES!" A loud cheer erupted.

"Sorry for being late. I just got off work." Sora looked around the room and waved.

"Work? Hey, dude, I gotta show you my parrot." Tidus was beginning to slur his words. He dragged Sora to the hallway.

Kairi nearly fainted. She secretly hoped he would show, and now he was here. She wondered how he'd been all this time. He never knew it, but Kairi had a major crush on him all throughout high school, ever since their freshman algebra class together. He lent her a pencil and smiled at her, and she fell for him that very day. She recalled it like it was yesterday. All those giddy, unrequited feelings rushed back to her the moment he came through that door.

Okay, so, yes. He was the main reason she came to this stupid reunion.

She watched in awe as Sora, Tidus and a few others talked. Of course, he looked more mature. He wore an untucked dress shirt and tie with khakis. His hair looked tamer. He had the same tan complexion, and most of all, his dorky smile. She couldn't ever forget that.

"I thought you had a parrot?" Sora asked Tidus. "I don't see this parrot. I think you're imagining things."

"Nah, man, it was here!"

"I think you're on something." Sora laughed it off.

Kairi couldn't bring herself to move. What could she even say to him after all this time? They barely talked back then. Regardless, she wasn't as shy as she used to be. She patiently waited for an opportunity. She wasn't going to screw it up this time.

After a while, everyone winded down. Some of the remaining classmates left, leaving only Tidus, Sora, and a few others. Kairi felt really out of place, but she couldn't go just yet. Sora mainly stayed in the kitchen. Tidus fell asleep on the recliner, and a few of his friends were still playing a very competitive game of beer pong. Sora finished his cup of water and set it on the counter. He looked pretty worn out himself.

Was now her chance? He was by himself…

 _'Oh, hell. Just go and talk to him!'_ Kairi walked into the kitchen. Sora was scrolling through his phone as she grabbed an empty red cup. She needed water first. Maybe she should have taken a shot or two...

The sausage fest in the living room cheered again.

"HEY! I'm trying to sleep!" Tidus yelled. "My head is killing me!"

Sora chuckled behind her. "Have they been like this the whole time?"

 _'What? Is he talking to me?'_ Kairi thought. Of course, he was. She was the only other person in the kitchen. And it was incredibly awkward.

"Yeah, they were drinking when I got here two hours ago."

"I'm not surprised." He scanned her face for a moment. "Uh, sorry, I can't remember your name."

Shot down, but she remained calm. "Kairi. We only had a few classes together back then."

"I see."

Silence ensued as Kairi tried to come up with something—anything, to get the ball rolling. She didn't prepare for this at all. Sora kept his eyes on his phone.

"I need some fresh air," she said finally, hoping he just might agree. He looked up, but didn't move. Kairi left the kitchen and slid open the door to the balcony.

He didn't follow her. Great.

Regardless, being outside still calmed her. The deed was done. She came here, she saw Sora for the first time in ten years, and they exchanged a few words. She felt okay with her life at this very-

The door opened, and Sora stepped onto the balcony. "Mind if I join?"

"No, not at all."

"It's crazy in there," he said. "My partying days are over."

"Same."

"You didn't seem like you were enjoying yourself."

Kairi blushed. "Huh? Oh, it's because I didn't drink, I guess."

"Their morning is going to suck."

"I can't even imagine," Kairi said.

"Tidus is everything I expected him to be."

"Oh yeah?"

Sora decided to change the subject. "Kairi… hm. Now that I think about it, I think I do remember you. Didn't you used to wear black hoodies all the time?"

"Unfortunately, as well as oversized T-shirts."

"You look so different."

"Is that good?" He shrugged. "So, what have you been doing for these past ten years?" Kairi asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"You know, work. The usual."

Kairi tried to keep it going. "What do you do?"

"I work for my dad. Go figure."

This small talk wasn't going to get anywhere, but Kairi was happy to even exchange one word with her long-time crush. "At that law firm?" She remembered that his dad was a big-shot lawyer. Their classmates often joked that they would sue him for silly things.

"Yeah, I became an attorney like he wanted me to." Although it was meant as a jab at his father, he sounded so nonchalant about it. As if, he had lost touch. "At least it keeps me busy," Sora continued. "I like being busy. But, I also like this."

"This?"

"The sky."

"Well, your name does mean sky, after all," Kairi said.

"Really? I didn't know." Sora chuckled. "What about you?"

Was he really interested, or just filling the silent void? "I work part-time at a nail salon, and I tutor three nights a week."

"Cool, cool." Sora straightened up and yawned. "I see your nails aren't that pretty, though."

Kairi had to look at them. "Yeah, when you're doing everyone else's, it's hard to keep your own looking nice. I don't even really like it, to be honest. These people tell you things that they don't even tell their closest friends, and I don't like being in that position."

"You think you are in an awkward position? I get to defend people that are clearly guilty and that have done some really bad things. It really messes with your conscience sometimes."

Kairi didn't expect such a dark turn. "Yeah, I guess my job is nothing compared to yours."

"I'm sorry if I come across as rude." Sora sighed. "I don't even know why I came here tonight."

"It's okay." It was a little strange, but Kairi's idolized opinion of him didn't change. "You seem stressed."

Sora cracked a smile. "Yeah, probably. But hey, that's what being an adult is all about, right?"

"I don't think I agree completely, but—"

"Hey, wanna exchange numbers? I'd love to hang out some other time. Right now, I just keep thinking about how nice to would be to go to sleep."

Did she bore him? No, he's been like that the whole time. They punched each other's numbers into their phones. "I think I'm going to head out too. Everyone in there is passed out, anyway."

"After you." Sora allowed her back into the house first. The host, Tidus, was snoring from the recliner, so they quietly made their exit. All in all, she was glad she came. They reached the elevator and waited.

"This was fun," Kairi said, but Sora didn't respond. The elevator door opened, and they got in.

"Lobby, right? You don't have any other appointments tonight?" he mused.

"Nope, I'm completely free." They reached the ground floor.

Sora stopped in the middle of the lobby and looked back at Kairi. "You know what? This is really random, but if you're up for it, I may be able to squeeze a little more time in between now and a nice, cozy bed. Wanna get ramen? I'm starving."

"Now? It's almost midnight," Kairi said, but in truth, she didn't want him to go just yet. "Yeah, sure. Are they open this late?"

"I know a place."

Kairi felt a little anxious as she followed Sora to the red-light district. This was an area of Destiny Islands that she liked to avoid, but with Sora by her side, she would go against that. This was the guy she never forgot about, no matter how many dates she went on. Being with him tonight made her feel like she was on top of the world.

A bell went off as they stepped into the Ramen shop. Kairi suppressed a yawn and they found a table in the far side corner. "It's on me. What do you want?"

"Oh, no, I can't let you do that. I'll pay for myself."

"Really, it's fine."

"Okay, just udon, then."

Sora went up to order. ' _He's buying me food. This almost feels like a date. No, Kairi. Pull yourself together. He's just being nice!'_

"It'll take about ten minutes," Sora said as he sat back down. "Thanks for coming with me. I just didn't wanna eat by myself. That gets old after a while."

"Don't you ever go out with friends? What about, uh… what's his name, Riku?"

"Riku got married and moved away."

Kairi looked down. "Oh."

"I mean, we still text every now and then. He's got two kids, so he's busy. And of course, so am I." Sora noticed her staring at the table. "Wait, do you have kids? Are you married? Is your husband going to kill me?"

Kairi shook her head quickly. "No! I'm not with anyone, and I'm kid-free. Not that I don't like kids, I just… I just can't see myself having them any time soon."

Sora scoffed. "You and me both. I don't have time for that. I'm almost thirty, and the most I have is my own apartment and a pet snake named Bobo."

Kairi gasped. "What do you feed it?"

"Live mice." Sora answered quickly. Kairi gave a disgusted look. "I'm kidding. They're dead already."

"Still don't like it."

"He's really cute, though. Maybe I'll let you meet him sometime." Sora went to get the food and brought it back to the table.

"I never eat this late," Kairi said, then blew on her noodles.

"I always eat this late," Sora said, his mouth full. "I don't usually get off until ten or eleven."

"Wow. My latest night was nine, and that was because I had to wait for a late parent to pick their child up."

"That sucks." Sora wiped his mouth and gulped down some water. "I'm usually buried in paperwork. It's so annoying."

"So, what do you think you'd be doing if you didn't work there?"

"I'd be a surf instructor, or a biologist."

"Those are two drastically different careers."

"I grew up here by the water, and I've always had a fondness for animals. I think if I could choose though, I would just end up being a surf instructor because I hate school." He looked up. "I don't know how you can voluntarily teach school subjects."

"It's just extra money." Kairi shrugged. She was getting full, but she didn't want Sora to feel bad if she didn't eat much.

"All this talk about work is bumming me out. What else are you into?"

"Well, like you, I also have an apartment, but I live with my friend, Namine. She went to school with us, too, but she didn't want to come to the reunion. We usually go shopping together, or travel. But in my own time, I like to… um," Kairi paused, "I have my own blog that I write, and sometimes I do v-logs."

"V-logs? Like on the internet?"

"Yeah, I've uploaded a few, but not recently. I usually review places that I go. Lately, I haven't had as much time."

"Cool! I wanna see it," Sora said, taking out his phone. "What's your screen name? I'll follow your blog too. I hate to read, but I'm sure your blog is more interesting than what I put up with."

He was so much more animated now. Kairi wasn't sure how to react to his sudden change in demeanor.

Now that Kairi thought about it, she may or may not have written about him before. In a panic, she hesitated, but just figured that if she did, it was buried among hundreds of entries. She could make it private before he ever got to read it, if he even went back that far.

"It's under Kai-Bear."

"That sounds like a pet name." Sora typed that into his phone. "Nice picture." He looked up at her for comparison. "You should smile like that more."

Kairi's face reddened. "I do."

"Subscribed. That is really cool."

"Thank you. Do you have anything online?"

"No, I wish I had time for that. I think it'd be a lot of fun."

"Well, maybe you can be in my v-log someday."

As if a light bulb went off, Sora said, "How about now?"

Kairi blinked several times before responding. "I would love to, but…"

Sora laughed. "I'm just kidding. So where have you traveled? The only place I've been outside of the islands was Traverse Town on a field trip… ten-ish years ago." He hung his head in shame.

"I went too, remember?" Kairi giggled. "You and some of your friends got lost in the Third District and drove Ms. Caleum nuts."

"Oh, we weren't lost. We just didn't feel like being on the tour anymore. Good times. We actually sat on the roof of the hotel."

"I can't say I wasn't worried," Kairi admitted. Sora smirked. "Since then, I've been to Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, and even Daybreak Town. My grandma lives in Radiant Garden, so I have been there more than other places."

"Did you post a video of it?"

"Yeah, I have a few for each place."

"I'll definitely have to check that out."

"You really should visit there. It's very nice, and there's a beautiful night sky."

"That sounds nice. Sometimes I just really like peace and quiet. If I ever get time off, I may just do that. Get away from it all. But actually, the beach does the trick for me. You know that little island? I like to take a boat down there really late at night."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Nah. It's just not recommended to go by yourself."

"I've honestly never been."

Sora gasped. "Are you serious?! And you've lived here for how long?"

"Since the summer before ninth grade," she replied. "I never had anyone that would go with me."

"Well, you do now. Man, you can't live here and just not go."

Kairi was flattered that he seemed to want to do so many things with her. It could all be just talk, but it sure made her feel special.

"I'll have to check it out, then."

Although their conversation was a little awkward, Kairi still felt like she made a new friend. "Are you off tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Sundays are my only days off."

"Tough."

Sora slurped some more noodles. "I'm used to it. I was thinking of hitting the waves. My apartment is right by the water."

"That must be nice. I live about a ten-minute drive from the beach."

Once again, the conversation went dry. She wanted to know every single detail about him, but that would have to wait. She didn't even know if she would see him after tonight, even though she had his number.

"Are you done eating? I think I've had enough." His bowl was clean.

As embarrassed as she was for not eating but half of her meal, Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I'm done." A yawn soon followed. Sora got a to-go carton and packed it for her, sealing it tight. "I could have done that," she said, but Sora ignored it.

"I can't let you go home by yourself at this hour. I'll get a cab." They left the ramen shop, and Sora flagged one down. Kairi would have protested if it weren't for her sixty yawns a minute. Even Sora was starting to catch on. Tonight was the best night she had in a long time, and she never thought she would be hanging out with the guy she admired all throughout high school. Her infatuation faded over the years, but tonight they returned, full force.

"Where to?" Sora asked.

"Oh, um, it's right off of Sunset Blvd. Palm Tree Cove." The driver started the tab and went on his way. Kairi tried to hide her yawn this time.

"Whoa, you're really tired. I'm sorry for keeping you out so late. I really had fun, though."

"Me too," Kairi said, then cracked a weak smile. They were quiet for the next fifteen minutes. The cab pulled up to her apartment complex, and Sora got out with her. "It's okay, I've got it from here."

He gave a look of disbelief. "I can find another cab." Sora paid the man, much to Kairi's refusal, and waved him off. Kairi had no choice but to let him do the "gentleman" thing and walk her to her door. It would probably hurt his pride if he didn't, and honestly, Kairi didn't mind one bit. They went up to the second floor.

"It's the last one on the end," she told him, fumbling in her purse for her keys.

"This is a nice place. You've got fingerprint locks and everything."

"I still like to make sure I have my keys." Kairi stopped in front of her door. "Well, thank you."

Sora put his arms out, confusing Kairi for a moment. "Hug?" She reluctantly stepped forward and allowed him to wrap his arms around her. He could probably feel her heart beating out of her chest and the sweat on her face. After a few moments, he didn't let go.

"Um," Kairi said, moving a little.

"Oh, I almost fell asleep." He let go of her and let out a huge yawn.

 _Why is he so cute?!_

Kairi laughed nervously. "Are you sure you can make it home?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just a thirty-minute walk or something."

Kairi checked the time on her phone. "Do you hear yourself? It's two in the morning." She pondered for a moment, her heart still lodged in her throat.

"I'll definitely be calling—"

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Kairi interrupted. Sora's mouth gaped open. "I mean, just because it's really late and all, and I too worry about you going home by yourself and I don't want you to get kidnapped or something. We used to have a third roommate, but she recently moved out, so there's an extra bed."

"Kidnapped?" Sora asked, then chuckled. "That's cute. Are you sure, though?"

Kairi nodded, her face red as a tomato. "Yeah, it's fine. Namine always goes to her boyfriend's house on Saturday nights, so it'll be just us." She knew what she sounded like, what the implications might be to him, but she really wanted him to stay.

"Hm, alright, if you don't mind."

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

 **A/N:** I'm so excited to write again! Leave a review, if you want.


	2. two

**two.**  
o-o-o-o

Namine came back at a quarter to eleven with their black and white shih tzu, Pepper. Kairi sat at the bar in their kitchen, browsing her phone. Pepper jumped happily at her feet.

"Hey, little girl," Kairi murmured, not taking her eyes away from her phone.

"What are you doing? And where is my clothes rack I had out?" she asked, perplexed by Kairi's odd behavior, as well as how much cleaner the apartment was. Pepper sniffed out the foreign shoes at the front door and growled a little. Kairi motioned for her best friend to come closer.

"It's in your room. Don't kill me," she whispered.

"Why are you—"

"I kinda, sorta… let someone stay over." Kairi looked to the hallway. Pepper had already found the source of the new smell, and was sitting in front of the door of the room that Sora slept in.

"Someone? Who?" Then it hit her, and she gasped. "A guy?!"

"Quiet! These are thin walls…"

"Where? In your bed?"

"No!" Kairi's face reddened. Namine stomped her foot with impatience. "In Olette's old room. It was so late last night, so I just let him stay over…"

Namine squealed with delight, but tried her hardest to keep her voice down. "Kairi, that's _wonderful!_ I have to admit, I was starting to worry about you…"

"Thanks…" Kairi mumbled.

"I mean, you haven't been in a relationship in what, four or five years? Even that one was short-lived. And you barely went out. I was seriously about to set you up with one of Roxas' friends. So, who is it? Someone from the reunion?" Namine gasped. "Do I know him?!"

After recovering from her friend's desire to hook her up with some stranger, Kairi replied. "You do know him. It's Sora."

Namine crossed her arms and stepped back. "Okay, nice one. Yup, I'm gonna ask Roxas if he has any single friends."

"Namine! It's true! He's still sleeping! We got back at here at two in the morning."

"Did the reunion go that late?" Namine raised an eyebrow.

"Well, everyone passed out drunk around 11:30 or so, so we left."

Namine did the math. "That's a two-and-a-half-hour window. What did you two do? Love hotel?"

Kairi shook her head in embarrassment. "No! Just went to get something to eat and then he escorted me home. But it was super late, and I was worried."

"I am still very skeptical. You mean, _the_ Sora? The one you were obsessed with all throughout high school?"

"I wasn't obsessed…" Kairi replied, really hoping he couldn't hear.

"Oh, girl, you had it bad." Namine stood for a moment, and then her demeanor drastically changed. She tackled Kairi and hugged her tightly. "I'm so excited for you! We have to do something!" Namine hurried into the kitchen and pulled out a muffin tray and some eggs. "Aren't you going to make him something? You know, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Roxas is seriously only with me because I can cook."

"If I were a guy, I'd date you too for that sole reason. You used to be a chef, so…"

"I'm pretty spectacular, aren't I?" Namine basked. "Now, get over here! We're gonna make some bacon cups! Unless he's weird and doesn't like bacon, then, you should kick him out and never speak to him again."

"I really don't know," Kairi said, dragging herself into the kitchen.

Thirty minutes later, Sora emerged from the room. Pepper barked constantly and went in circles around him, fearing the stranger. "Kairi, I didn't know you had a dog."

"Hey," she greeted, a little nervous about his upcoming encounter with her vivacious, carefree roommate. Namine stopped her yoga video and hurried over to him.

"Oh, hello. I'm Sora. Sorry for sleeping in so late."

"It's cool," Namine said, shaking his hand. "Namine. Excuse the sweat. Yoga is harder than it looks."

"Right," Sora said, looking down at Pepper.

"She just has to get used to you. She's really sweet," Kairi told him. She still couldn't believe he was in the house.

"I see. By the way, that's probably the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in."

"It's one of those memory foam mattresses," Kairi said.

"Name your price," Sora joked. "So, what did you make? You really didn't have to cook anything."

"Bacon cups," Namine replied before Kairi had the chance. "Kairi made them. They're just freshly sliced ham, egg and sharp cheddar cheese wrapped in uncured, applewood smoked bacon. A pinch of salt in each one, of course."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "They look really good. Is it okay if I take some with me, though? I should be getting home. Bobo is probably hungry."

"Bobo?" Namine asked.

"His pet snake."

"Ah," Namine said, then started rummaging through the cabinets. She pulled out a container, put about six of them into and it sealed it. "Here you go!"

"Thanks," he said, a little thrown off by her upbeat energy. He smiled at Kairi. "I look forward to eating these." Pepper barked at him as he went to the door and put his shoes on. Kairi went to see him off.

"Get home safely," she said.

Sora pat her shoulder. "I really appreciate it. I'll call you later, okay?"

 _Will he?_ She thought to herself, but just nodded. After he left, she could feel Namine's eyes burning into her backside.

"That was painful to watch."

o-o-o-o

Kairi was about to start a TV show when she got a phone call from Sora. After the third ring, she answered. "H-hello?"

"Hey, what are you up to?" he asked.

"Me? Nothing. What are you doing?"

He didn't answer her question. "Um, would you like to come over?"

Kairi looked at the clock. He had only left about eight hours before, and now he wanted to see her again?

"Really? Yeah, sure, I guess." Kairi was still trying to get over the initial shock.

"Cool, I'll text you my address. See you soon."

"See ya…" Kairi hung up the phone. Namine just stared from the opposite couch. "He wants me to come over."

"I'm pretty sure that's a booty call," Namine said.

"I doubt it, but if it is…" Kairi shook the thoughts from her mind. "I won't do anything, and if he tries something I don't like, you know I can handle it."

"Yeah, yeah. Just be careful."

"I will!" Kairi got dressed and made sure to spray a little perfume. She smiled at herself in the mirror. It felt so good, even if she didn't know what his true intentions were. She said goodbye to Namine and left.

Kairi got off the bus at the end of Paradise Springs Road. Like he said, his apartment building was right on the beach. Sora waved to her from the distance.

"Hey, thanks for coming on such short notice. I hope it's not weird."

"I wasn't doing anything, so it's fine." They walked back toward the apartment. "I've never been over here."

"It's really nice." He pointed to the water. "See? The island is right there. I had to be near it. It's like my second home."

"Oh, cool."

They entered the apartment and went over to the elevator. "I live on the fifth floor," Sora mentioned.

Here she was, not even twenty-four hours from seeing him for the first time in so long, at his apartment. He must enjoy her company if he invited her out here; that, Kairi was certain. They got to the fifth floor and she followed Sora to the last door on the right, number 515.

"Don't worry, I put Bobo back into his cage."

"Well, I'm glad for that," Kairi said as they went inside. Natural light irradiated from the large windows in the living room. Kairi stood in awe at the beauty of the oceanside view. There was no clutter whatsoever, from what she could see, and the pearl white walls and light brown tiled floors were immaculately clean. He had a black, leather sectional that matched the black and white theme in his kitchen. Overall, Kairi was surprisingly impressed by how simple the décor was.

"I'm not home much, and when I am, I spend most of my time on the balcony or at the shore." Sora went into the kitchen and pulled a cup from the cabinet. "Thirsty?"

"Oh, sure. Water, please."

"Ice?"

"Yes, thanks." Kairi left her shoes by the door and walked over to the tall, glass windows. "This view is breathtaking. This apartment must cost a fortune."

"Sixty-hour work weeks make it worth it," Sora said, handing her the glass of water. "Let's go onto the balcony." He unlocked the door and they went outside. The red-orange sky blended over the impeccable, sapphire waters. They sat at the small, round table and took in some fresh air. Kairi couldn't imagine living in such an extravagant place.

"How long have you been here?"

"In this apartment? About two years. Before this, I lived closer to the hospital downtown and I hated it. It's just so much more peaceful here, obviously. I didn't like all the constant sirens. The apartment you live in is pretty nice, too."

Kairi shrugged. "It's alright. We've been there for the last four years and haven't had any problems. It's my first apartment. My mom didn't like me moving out, but I felt like I had to be on my own."

"I hear ya. I couldn't wait to get out of my parent's house. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope, it's just me. Probably the reason my mom was so clingy. You?"

"I have a sister, and then there's my mom and dad. As you know, my dad owns the law firm, and it's allowed my mom to stay home. My sister lives with her boyfriend somewhere."

"Somewhere? You don't know where?"

"I just know it's on the islands."

Kairi thought that was a little strange, but she didn't want to pry. "I see. Namine is like a sister to me. We've been best friends since I moved here."

"She's quite a character. You're from Radiant Garden, right?"

"Yeah, that's where I was born. My mom and I lived with my grandma. They really struggled to take care of me and make sure that I had good opportunities. My mom wanted a change, so she got a job here working with Child Services and has been ever since. I really look up to her."

"That's really awesome. Your mom sounds like a strong person," Sora said.

"She is."

"May I ask, what about your dad?"

Kairi broke eye contact and stared at the ocean. "He chose not to be a part of my life. In fact, I just assume I don't have a father. He made that decision before I was even born, so I try not to be bitter about it. I've never even met him."

"That's hard. I'm sorry."

Kairi forced herself to smile. "It's alright. Like I said, it was out of my control."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, sometimes I wish I didn't have a father. He can be such an ass."

"I noticed yesterday that you didn't seem too happy about working with him."

"More like, for him. I'm just an employee."

It made Kairi sad to hear that. "But does he treat you that way to be fair to others? I've heard of family businesses giving special treatment."

"I guess in that aspect, it's fair. But he's obviously harder on me than everyone else, and everyone else knows it. If one of my partners fails a case, it's a slap on the wrist, but if I fail, there's a long lecture about how I just lost a lot of money and a bunch of other bull." Sora slumped in his seat a little more and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Why? I don't mind listening, if you feel like talking about it."

"Thanks. Anyway," Sora said, smirking. "I tried those bacon things, and they were delicious. I ate all of them."

"Thank you, but I have to be honest, Namine did most of the work," Kairi admitted.

"I figured as much."

"Hey, what does that mean?" Kairi pouted.

"I could hear some of what you were saying."

Kairi stiffened. "Y-you could?"

Sora stayed quiet watched the ocean for a little bit. Sweat dripped down Kairi's face. What all did he hear and why wasn't he telling her?

"So, what else are you into? I did watch some of your videos earlier. I'd like to see those places for myself sometime. What's this about you boxing? Did you used to do that?" Sora asked, astonished.

"Yeah, I did it for about five years. There was a boxing club next to the university, and I thought it looked fun. Once I moved out of my mom's house, though, I couldn't afford it anymore."

"That is amazing. So, you could probably whoop me, I bet."

"It definitely puts your endurance to the test. I wish I could go back. I loved that place. It also helped a lot with my confidence. I used to be really quiet and afraid of what others thought of me, but then I realized I could beat them up if they said anything mean," Kairi said, and laughed.

"Ain't that the truth! Yeah, if I remember correctly, you barely spoke when we were in school. Meanwhile, I was always giving the teachers a hard time. I should probably go back for a visit, if any of our teachers are even still there. I'm sure they'd cringe just from seeing me."

Kairi shrugged. "I haven't been back. Yeah, I had my group of friends and I was content with that. But I still worried a lot." She sipped on her water.

Sora contemplated his next words. "But you liked me, huh?"

Kairi nearly spit it out. She cleared her throat and straightened up. "I mean, a lot of girls did." So, he _did_ hear them earlier.

Sora sighed. "I did like the attention, but no one ever really stuck with me, which was reasonable considering we were all teenagers."

"Stuck with you?"

"I just mean, I didn't really like anyone."

"I can understand that." Kairi felt a little disappointed, but the past was the past. It wasn't like she made any effort to tell him anyway. "I guess I didn't either, well, other than you. But I didn't know you."

"No sense in dwelling. I'm just happy you're here now." Kairi blushed profusely. "Oh, you wanna meet Bobo?" Sora asked, knocking her out of her trance.

"Yeah, sure…"

They went back inside, and he led her down the hallway. They passed a bathroom and came to a spare bedroom. "I keep him in here," Sora said, opening the door. A large cage encompassed the back corner, and Kairi got chills just from looking at it. She saw the white and tan colored snake moving about in the cage.

"So, he can't get out of there, right?" Kairi asked, slowly stepping forward.

"Don't be scared. I also made sure to feed him earlier, because I figured you didn't want to see that."

Kairi spotted a mini-fridge near the cage. "Is that where you keep his food?"

"What? You think I'd keep it in my own fridge?" He teased.

Kairi could see the entire snake and was surprised at how small it was. It could not have been more than three feet long.

"He's an albino ball python," Sora said.

"That's cool…" Kairi was still a little creeped out.

"You'll get used to him. He's the nicest snake ever," Sora said, heading for the door. To Kairi, that meant he would be inviting her over more after this, and that eased her mind a little. They went back into the living room.

"Sorry if I'm a little weirded out by a snake. I just never considered one as a pet. I mean, I knew people had them, but…"

"It's cool. I didn't expect you to be too thrilled about it, but since we were already here, and all."

"Thank you for not keeping dead mice in your fridge, though."

Sora's face scrunched. "I wouldn't be able to eat my own food, knowing that. Speaking of food, did you eat dinner yet?"

"I don't have much of an appetite at the moment," Kairi said.

Sora laughed. "I'm sorry." He reached in for a hug, and Kairi allowed it. "Does this make you feel better?"

"Maybe," she peeped, her entire body going warm. She waited several moments for him to let go, but he didn't. "Did you fall asleep again?"

Sora chuckled, but still held on. "No, this time it just felt nice. I probably could fall asleep like this, though. But for the sake of not being weird…" Sora stepped back, keeping an ample distance from her; his words trailing off as he studied her eyes. Kairi had no idea what to think or do, so she just stood there and waited for his next move. He put one arm around her back and pulled her closer. "Are you okay?"

Kairi gulped. "I think so." She felt like she should be closing her eyes right about now, but she couldn't. He smirked at her, and then leaned in and kissed her forehead. Kairi shut her eyes right then. Sora let go, and chuckled.

"You're cute."

Assuming it was over, Kairi slowly opened her eyes. Sora was already searching his fridge. Her brain had turned to mush, and she couldn't think straight.

"I don't have anything to eat. I'll just order something," Sora said. Kairi was still recovering from what just happened. The problem was, it wasn't even anything major. All he did was kiss her forehead and she was acting like he just confessed his love to her.

"Kairi?"

"Huh? Yes? What?"

"I'm starting to think that I probably should not have done that. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"M-me? I'm fine! It just surprised me, that's all. I liked it, actually." She turned her head, trying not to make eye contact. "You really like hugs, don't you?"

He chuckled. "I guess so, but not with just anyone. If I'm being too forward, though, please tell me."

Kairi took in a deep breath and then grinned. The fact was, she was no longer a giddy high-school girl. She was an adult, close to thirty, and so was he. She no longer wanted to be that shy, weird person that she used to be.

"Don't worry, I'm okay with it," she told him.

Sora just smiled. "Okay." Kairi joined him at the counter. He had his phone in his hand. "I was thinking of getting chicken wings, and then we could eat and watch the sunset together."

Kairi brushed shoulders with him as she pretended to look at his phone, and he didn't move. "That sounds good to me."

o-o-o-o


	3. three

**three.**  
o-o-o-o

Kairi washed her hands for the tenth time that day. The nail salon was busy, and her manager, Yuna, already asked if she could stay a little later. She felt bad to refuse, but she did tutoring at night, so she had to leave on time.

Also, she was sick of hearing their most loyal customer, Tifa's many housewife stories. She came in once a week, sometimes twice. Kairi tried not to get tied up into giving her a pedicure, because she only let Yuna do her nails.

However, _everyone_ had to hear it.

"He's been staying later and later. He tells me the workload has increased, but I think that has a different sort of undertone, don't you? And I can't imagine what I would do if the latter were true, could you?"

"I certainly hope that he's truthful in the matter," Yuna replied. One of her other coworkers, Rikku, scoffed from the back hallway.

"I wish she would just shut up," she whispered to Kairi. "No wonder her husband stays late." Rikku perked up and went to start on he next client.

She and Rikku weren't friends. She had an abrasive personality, one Kairi just didn't click with. As much as people like Tifa annoyed her, she at least tried not to judge them. Kairi sighed and stretched a little bit; she'd been crouching or sitting for most of the day. She pulled out her phone, only to find she had one unread message.

 _ **Sora**_ _: Hello :)_

They'd been texting all week and calling on some nights. Kairi never knew what Sora's schedule would be. Sometimes he'd get off around nine, so he'd call her, but others he wouldn't get off until much later. She replied.

 _"Hiii :) I'm working, but thankfully the day is almost over, at least for the first job."_

"Oh, tutoring tonight, right?"

"Yup, but I should be done around seven."

"Cool. I'm actually getting off early tonight. There's gonna be some concert and fireworks on the beach. I'm thinking of going if you wanna join?

"Kairi?" Yuna called, motioning at the customer that just walked in. It was another regular, one that Kairi didn't particularly like. She quickly put her phone away, unable to reply. She greeted the customer and allowed for the lady to sit in the pedicure chair. She rolled her eyes as Kairi approached her. Ever since she started working here, the regulars seemed to pay her no mind.

"I'll wait for one of the other girls that I know," she told Kairi as she rested her feet in the basin.

"That may be a while," Kairi acknowledged, but it only irritated her more.

"I won't be spending my money on an amateur."

Kairi was about to let her have it, when her boss spoke up. "Mrs. Gina, Kairi is very good and if you refuse to treat her with respect then you can kindly take your business elsewhere," Yuna said, nonchalantly filing Tifa's nails.

Flabbergasted that she would even say that, the lady scoffed and angrily shoved her shoes back onto her big feet. "I will _not_ be coming back!" She stormed out. A few of the remaining customers laughed.

"Thanks, Yuna," Kairi said, feeling a little apologetic for some reason.

"We're a team here. You're just as important as everyone else, even if you've only been here for a few years."

Despite the annoying customers, and sketchy coworkers at times, Kairi liked the solidarity that Yuna brought to the workplace. She was reasonable, but also knew how to put others in their place. She'd been running this salon for the last fifteen years, and she was an expert at what she did. Kairi really looked up to her.

Finally, it was time to clock out. Kairi promptly replied to Sora the moment she stepped out the door.

 _"Sorry, work got busy. Yeah, that sounds fun! Should I bring a bathing suit?"_

 _"Only if you don't want your clothes getting wet. ;)"  
_  
 _"What is that supposed to mean? ;P"_

She couldn't wait to see him.

o-o-o-o

He didn't meet her at the bus station this time, so Kairi went ahead and walked down the road. She entered Sora's apartment number into the machine and waited for him to unlock the gate. A few moments later, it opened, and she made her way inside.

Last time, she didn't really get a chance to truly take in how beautiful the lobby was. It felt more like a luxurious hotel than an apartment complex. A worker smiled at her as they walked by, a foreign concept at her own place.

 _I guess I would be happy if I worked here, too._

Red, white and purple hibiscuses outlined the wall. Tall windows like the ones in Sora's apartment gave them sufficient light, and they were well maintained. There was a lounge area with comfy, white leather couches, and even a bar. She considered asking someone how much a month's rent was, because she just couldn't imagine anyone being able to afford it.

She saw a sign for a pool area, gym and even massage room on her way to the elevator. _This place has everything!_

Once she made it up to his floor, Kairi took a deep breath. After all their lengthy, and sometimes suggestive conversations over the past few days, she wasn't sure how today would go. She knocked on the door, her beach bag in tow.

"Did you get lost?" Sora teased when he let her in.

"I was just snooping around the lobby. This place is amazing."

"It's alright. I try to stay away from the pool area. I hear rich, married men like to bring their mistresses there."

"Seriously?"

Sora shrugged and noticed her bag. "You can get changed in the bathroom. It's right there." He pointed to the hallway. "We probably won't go in the water much, but just in case."

Even his guest bathroom left a major impression. It was so spacious, that Kairi could lay on the floor if she wanted. (Not that she would). She envied the amount of counter space on the sink, as well as the walk-in shower and beautiful, tiled walls. If this was the guest bathroom, she couldn't even picture what the master bathroom looked like.

She put on her bathing suit; a striped, light and dark purple tankini. Kairi never really felt comfortable in a bikini. To her, it seemed to heighten the expectations for some reason. She checked herself in the mirror. _I love the lighting in here._ She covered herself with a matching floral beach kimono and grabbed her sunglasses.

Sora definitely noticed her when she came out, but didn't say anything.

"I'm ready," Kairi told him, taking a towel from her bag. "Is it okay if I leave everything else here?"

"Of course."

"I'll keep my phone on me. I wanna take some pictures of the fireworks."

"Sounds good. Let's go."

They headed down to the shore. The waves were low, and there was a nice breeze going. A bunch of food stands and shacks were set up along the strip, and there were a lot of people out. An amphitheater was a little further down, which Kairi presumed was where they were going.

"Wanna stop and get a drink first?" he asked. "I know a good place. One of the guys we graduated high school with works there."

"Oh, sure."

Sora led her to a place called Sharktail Bar and Grille. The smell of fresh seafood made her mouth water.

"Hi! Nice seeing you!" the host beamed.

"It'll be the bar today." Sora and Kairi went to the open patio facing the ocean. The bartender was currently helping someone else. "Are you hungry?"

"A little." She looked over the menu. A waitress brought them some water and they ordered some shrimp to share. The bartender made his way over to them.

"Yo, my man! How you do? Who's this fine lady? I think the last time you brought a girl here it was your sister!" He popped open a beer and handed it to him. Kairi didn't recognize the man.

"I highly doubt it," Sora said, taking a swig of his beer. "This is Kairi. Kairi, Wakka. He was a total douche in high school."

"That's true. Kairi… can't say it rings a bell." That didn't surprise her. People barely recognized her at the reunion. "Wha'ddul ya have, my lady?"

"Make me something tangy," Kairi said, showing her ID.

"Tangy coming right up! Boy, do I have some stories for you."

"Oh, really?"

"Shut it, Wakka," Sora groaned.

"Aww, come on, man! 'Tis not ev'ryday you bring pretty lady around here! Lemme tell her 'bout the seagull thing!"

"Hell no! I almost died!"

"I need to hear this," Kairi said, perking up in her chair. He slid her drink over to her.

"Okay, okay, get this," Wakka said, leaning in closer. Kairi gave her undivided attention.

"Oh, come on!" Sora covered his ears.

"This guy right here, man, so one day he thought it would be a bright idea to cook some seagull eggs, right?"

"That's never a good idea," Kairi teased, watching Sora totally ignore them. "What happened?"

"I was working here as usual, and I could see him from here. So I'm standin' here watching this fool climb up a tree, in the middle of the night. I was wondering if he was drunk, 'cause that's the kinda thing you expect, man."

Kairi giggled to herself at the mental image.

"So he somehow made it to the top, where the seagull nest was. Granted, it was me and like two other people watching 'cause this happened so late. He tried to reach for one of the eggs, but then—"

"Then the seagulls attacked me! There! I fell off the tree, nearly relocated my spine, and two seagulls chased me for about fifteen minutes. It was stupid, I was probably drunk, there's probably video evidence somewhere online, and Wakka won't let me live it down." Sora folded his arms on the table and buried his face inside.

"Aww, there, there," Kairi patted his back, laughing.

"This guy may do stupid things sometimes, but he truly is special."

Sora lifted his head up. "That's random. You can't diss me and then compliment me at the same time."

"I just did, didn't I?"

Kairi turned her head to giggle some more. She could tell how embarrassed he was.

"We all do stupid things, Sora."

"Touché."

"Hey, I like this chick. 'Nother round on me." Wakka started whipping up another cocktail, way before Kairi was done with her first one. "You know, man, I can tell when you gotta good one. You two have this undeniable aura 'bout you, ya know?"

"Whatever that means," Sora said, exchanging confused looks with her. Wakka went to take care of another customer. "Is that drink good?"

"Yeah. Maybe a little _too_ good."

"Whoa, now." Sora shook his head in amusement. "I won't have to carry you out of here, will I?"

"You might. Would that be a problem?"

"Nah." He rose from the barstool. "Wanna head over to the amphitheater? We can take our drinks with us."

"Sure." Kairi and Sora waved to Wakka and left.

o-o-o-o

They had no idea it would be a jazz concert, but enjoyed it nonetheless. The sun went down, and more people gathered along the shore for the fireworks. Sora and Kairi found their own little spot to watch and settled in. Kairi draped her kimono around herself. "It's cold out here."

"Here, let me help." Sora took the sandy towel from the ground and wrapped her in it. Kairi's mouth gaped open.

"Dang it, Sora!" she threw the towel back at him and brushed herself off. He just laughed.

"You said you were cold, and I didn't have a jacket on me."

"You're so mean," she said, distancing herself from him when she sat back down. Her two drinks earlier wore off, but she still felt pretty comfortable.

"Aww, don't be like that. The kids would hate to see us like this," he said in a louder tone. Kairi's eye twitched, but then she played along.

"The _kids_ are at their grandmother's house because _you_ thought you could give them another sibling tonight."

"I told you when we got together that I expected twelve children, and I'm gonna get that."

Kairi tried very hard to hold in her laughter. A few people around them scooted away. "Unfortunately for you, uh, you're not getting _anything_ tonight."

"I don't know, you're pretty bad at holding down your liquor, wifey." Sora lowered his voice and moved closer to her. "Okay, I can't do this anymore." He too was trying to contain himself. "Can't you just forgive me?"

Kairi glared at him, but then her expression softened. "Fine…" She leaned her head on his shoulder, and Sora didn't protest. Others gave them strange looks. "But next time I'm gonna whoop you."

"And I don't doubt that. I forget that I need to be more careful around you, because I know you'll win."

"Dang straight I will."

Sora smirked and put his arms around her. "Are you warmer now?"

Her cheeks reddened. "Just a little."

The fireworks began, and Kairi lit up. She'd always loved to watch and having Sora with her made it a million times better. She cozied up next to him, under the pretense that she was still shivering from the nighttime breeze. It was a total lie at this point; she was completely fine, but she just didn't want him to let go.

She was pretty sure he knew that, though.

"I'm usually watching fireworks from my apartment, but this is nice, too."

"I wish I could do that."

"Back before this became a tourist spot, Riku and I used to come down here and just shoot fireworks over the water. We were probably twelve or thirteen. Then they started building shops and apartments along the shore, and we couldn't come here anymore, even though we grew up just a few blocks away. If we wanted to get to a beach that wasn't completely packed, we'd have to go several miles up the road."

"So, the rich people took over, basically."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. But of course, I couldn't stay away."

"Do your parents still live in your childhood home?"

"Yeah, my dad refuses to sell. When they were doing all the zoning and stuff, he actually fought to keep his land. The rest of my neighbors were booted out and paid off, and a bunch of stupid shops were built. The house is at the end of the street, and it's really out of place now."

"Well, it's nice that he preserved that for the family, though."

Sora shrugged. "It's whatever. A house isn't much when everyone hates each other." He paused. "Okay, I take that back. I don't hate my mother."

"I don't really know what to say to that."

"I don't expect you to. I can't complain too much, though. My life is a lot better now, despite a few things here and there."

"We all have issues, it's just a matter of working through them."

"True that. Oh, that one was cool," Sora said, watching the sky explode into red, green and blue fragments.

"Hey, let's take a picture," Kairi said, pulling her phone out. Just before she was about to snap the photo, Sora tickled her sides and made her drop her phone.

"I'll kill you!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'll be serious!"

"Nope, you lost your chance!" Kairi crossed her arms in defiance. Sora took her phone, which was still unlocked, and held it upward. "Don't you dare," she warned.

"Wow, our first picture together is you being mad. How sad." He went ahead and sent it to himself, then gave her phone back. Kairi was fighting the urge to smirk; he was just too cute for her to be upset. Also, she wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that he was confident enough to use her phone.

"Fine, do-over."

"Nope, the damage is done."

"This is your fault!"

"I'm just messing with you." He kissed her forehead.

Kairi didn't move. Flushed, she could just feel her insecurities creeping inside. He seemed so open and genuine, but she wasn't sure what she was doing anymore. He squeezed her, and then loosened up again. Kairi looked to the sand.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

She shook her head and continued watching the fireworks, trying her hardest to hold a poker face. Sora's arms lowered.

"Did I do something wrong?"

She forced a smile, but it quickly faded. The firework show finale blasted in the background, but his eyes focused on her.

"I want to ask you something," she said finally, "but I don't want you to think that I'm trying to rush things, because I'm not at all."

"Sure, anything." People started to leave around them, but they stayed put.

"What exactly are you looking for right now? In terms of a relationship." Sora sat back, contemplating how to answer. "Well, let me make this a little easier, since I brought up such a heavily loaded question. I don't know what I want right now."

"I guess I don't either. As you know, I don't know if I have the time to properly commit to something like that. I definitely like hanging out with you, though."

"Me too." Kairi decided to stop there. She didn't want to creep him out. "Okay, thanks."

"Thanks?" Sora asked incredulously.

"Well, I don't know what to say. We've been talking for almost a week, and I know it's a weird question to bring up."

"It's good to be on the same page," Sora replied. "I've been alone for so long, so I don't really know how these things work anymore."

"I agree. I just want to take things one step at a time. Fair?"

"Fair." They both stood up, and Kairi took his hand. It felt good to get that off her chest.

"So… whaddaya say we head back to my place, and… you know. Those twelve kids aren't going to make themselves."

"My _God_!" she playfully hit his arm.

o-o-o-o

They entered the apartment in a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, those people were probably wondering if they needed to call the police," Kairi said, trying to compose herself. Sora handed her a cup of water, and she was quick to drink some.

"Well, if the mother wasn't so abusive, they wouldn't have to." Kairi almost sprayed water all over the counter. She covered her mouth just in time, but Sora's hysterical response made it extremely difficult. She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to breathe.

They took a few moments to drink more water and calm down, smiles still plastered across their faces. Kairi leaned against the counter. It was nice to see Sora so relaxed; up until now it seemed like they were both trying to find that common ground. She looked up at him, only to find him watching her.

"What? You're staring."

"Am I?"

"Don't be a smartass," she jested.

Sora placed his cup in the sink. "It's crazy to say, but it's been a long time since I've had that much fun. Thank you, Kairi, for hanging out with me tonight. I hope we can do this more often."

"Of course we can."

"Next time I'll try to behave."

"What if I don't want you to?" she teased, a glimmer in her eye.

"I won't, then."

As much fun as this was, the night had to end at some point. She looked at the time on the stove clock. "Well, I don't want to keep you. I know you have to get up early."

He sighed in disappointment. "Alright." Kairi grabbed her beach bag and purse from the couch. She made her way to the door.

"I'll text you when I get home."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, please do."

Kairi stalled for a moment, and then opened the door. _Wow, I miss him already, and I haven't even left._ She hoped that wouldn't be a problem, especially so early on.

"Hey, Kairi?" she stopped. "You forgot something."

"Huh?" As soon as she turned around, his lips mashed against hers. Kairi's bags dropped to the floor, and her back hit the door. She shut her eyes, hoping to any god out there that her breath didn't stink as she tried to figure out what to do with her dangling hands. Sora entangled his fingers in her hair and gently jerked her head upward to gain access to her neck. Kairi squirmed helplessly beneath him, squeezing the contents of his shirt. His lips made their way back to hers, and she finally reciprocated.

 _Okay, my breath must be fine, because he hasn't stopped. God, what is he doing to me? I can't…_ Kairi's knees buckled. He was now nibbling at her ear, and it gave her an irresistible tingly feeling—one she was unfamiliar with. Still, she persisted, and forced him to kiss her more.

And then, just as quickly as it happened, it was over.

Sora pulled away, not taking his eyes off her. Kairi tugged her shirt down and tried to compose herself, her face indisputably flushed.

"One step at a time, right?" he asked, allowing the silence to remain just a little longer.

o-o-o-o


	4. four

**Four.**

o-o-o-o

Kairi woke up at five-thirty in the morning to a loud, beeping noise. The covers shifted as Sora turned over and hit the off switch on his alarm. He wrapped his arm back around her and snuggled closer. "Morning," he mumbled.

"Good morning," Kairi said, followed by a yawn. She felt his breath on her neck and smiled to herself.

She didn't plan this.

For a moment there, Kairi thought he had fallen back asleep. She turned her head slightly, causing him to open his eyes. "I'm sorry for waking you. You can sleep a little longer, if you want." Sora leaned over and kissed her, but she held it for longer than he anticipated.

"Okay, don't tempt me, miss."

"Too tired for that," she jested.

Sora lay on his back and sighed in defeat. "Me too, unfortunately. Not that you don't look damn good right now."

She still didn't know how to respond to his compliments. Last night, they spent nearly two more hours just talking, cuddling and making out. He made no further advancements than that, and she was completely fine with it, but was he? Kairi did wonder what went through his mind when they finally decided to go to sleep. Should she have done more?

 _'Oh, God, Kairi. Shut up. You're fine,'_ she told herself. Still, she could hardly believe it. Waking up in Sora's bed? Wearing his clothes? Only couples did those things. As much as she wanted to take it slow, it was as if the universe was telling her not to. She hid under the covers. This was amazing. _He_ was amazing.

"Your bed is so comfortable. I don't wanna move."

"Go back to sleep." Sora forced himself to get up. He had to admit, it was tough leaving her there. "I've gotta take a shower."

"Okay," Kairi said, then grabbed one of his pillows and added it to her pile.

Sora chuckled. "If you wanted more pillows, you could have asked."

Kairi threw the pillow over her face. She couldn't look at him anymore without getting up and forcing him back to bed. She could _not_ make him late. Thankfully, Sora didn't get the hint and went into the bathroom. _'Alright, keep it cool,'_ she thought as the water turned on.

To clear her mind, Kairi sent a quick text to Namine, making sure she had the dog with her. Probably something she should have checked the night before, but everything happened so fast. Namine was always up early too, even if she stayed over at her boyfriend's house. She confirmed that she did, and then asked the inevitable.

 _"Why? Where are you?"_

 _"I didn't leave last night."_

She sent a mixture of emojis back, with a 'thumbs up' at the end of it. _"Get it, girl! Please tell me you used protection, though…"_

 _"We didn't do that, just slept in the same bed. Promise."_

 _"Yeah, okay. So happy for you, though! You're up freaking early. Is everything ok?"_

Kairi loved Namine. She always showed her support in one way or another.

 _"He has to work."_

 _"Oh, dang. Are you staying over?"_ She inserted a teasing emoji.

 _"No. I think that would cross some sort of line, and I have to work later, anyway."_

It took about five minutes for Namine to respond. _"Girl, you've already crossed so many lines. Just do what feels right."_

Kairi set her phone down and pulled herself up. _'What a night.'_ She found her bag next to the couch in the living room. Based off the consistent flirting over the last week or so, Kairi had considered the very slim chance that this would happen and packed her work clothes. She knew how this would look to him, so she just put on her jeans. Besides, she liked the feel of his T-shirt. It was just like every other T-shirt in the world, except it was _his_. Kairi waited for Sora on the couch and watched the sunrise through the big, glass windows. Whatever anxiety she felt, whatever questions flooded her mind all washed away with the waves of the crystal blue ocean, at least for a little bit.

What a beautiful sight. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. In a way, she understood why Sora went to such lengths to stay here, despite it being so costly. There was a lingering sadness about him at times, and she could see that, but the ocean was like his safe haven. He may not have had much other than his furniture and his pet snake, but that didn't matter. He liked the simple life. She could respect that.

She may have been looking too much into it, though. She still needed to get to know him better. _'Heck, he'd probably tell me anything if I ask at this point. He's such an open book, it's a little unnerving.'_

And that was just it. It seemed as if he could tell her all his secrets and concerns, but why? She could barely give him a compliment, yet alone let him in. Her lack of experience was also a factor. Would he be just as receptive? Did he really want to know her as a person, or was this just a fling that would fade? As much as Kairi wished she could dismiss the negative thoughts, she was so confused. Then again, she wasn't sure if she was ready for a commitment either.

 _'We are just having fun right now. Just see where it goes. Stop worrying so much…'_

But that was the problem. Kairi's feelings were like a curse. This whirlwind of emotions left her helpless, and she wanted more. It was like being back in high school, except her high school dreams were coming true. She had no idea how to handle it. It was as if her infatuation never left.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked, knocking her from her trance.

"Oh, um, just watching the ocean. It's gorgeous."

He tilted his head. "You okay?"

 _'No, you punk. I want to know what this all means!'_ Kairi took a deep breath and snapped out of it. "Yup, I'm fine."

He smiled in response and then went into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"

"Yeah, I'll have some water. Thank you." Kairi got up and met him in the doorway, trying hard not to stare. He looked so good in a suit and tie, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. They stood in silence as she gulped it down. "So, what's on the agenda at work today?"

"I have a trial. I've been trying to settle this sexual harassment case for the last two weeks, and with all the rescheduling and beating around the bush, I'm really hoping that today is the end of it."

"I imagine you're not allowed to tell details. Are you sure you're not too tired? Maybe I should not have stayed over."

"At this point, tired is my middle name. Don't worry, I'll be alright."

"Do these cases usually go on for this long?" Kairi asked.

"It depends. I mainly specialize in employment and family law, so it's hit or miss. Sometimes, I'm able to negotiate something without court. It just depends on how deep the offenses are. The worst ones are the domestic abuse. There are scummy people that have lied to my face on multiple occasions, calling the one they supposedly love and care for a liar and saying how they brought all of it on themselves."

"That is horrible. I don't think I could handle it."

"You just want to strangle them. They truly have no remorse for their actions, and when something is settled in their favor, such as probation or a short sentence, it drives me nuts. But I do my best to help the victims get out of those situations. No matter who it is, they don't deserve it."

"It's good that you're so passionate about it. Since my mother works in child services, I kind of understand. She's told me plenty of stories. I'm sure your clients can see how much you care."

"I hope so. The satisfaction of watching the perpetrators get what's coming to them is what keeps me going." Sora paused. "As well as helping the victims, of course."

"A little vindictive, are we?"

"Maybe." Sora smirked, but she could sense that something was off. He may have just been venting. "Well, I have to feed Bobo. After that, we can head out."

"Alright."

A few minutes later, Sora carried a briefcase over to the door and set it by his shoes. Kairi finished washing her cup; she didn't want to leave any dishes for him. Sora came up behind her and pulled her close. Kairi bit her bottom lip.

"By the way, when am I going to get my shirt back?" He asked in a suggestive tone.

"When I feel like giving it back?" she murmured.

Sora sighed. "Alright, I guess you can borrow it." He rested his chin lazily on her shoulder. "Don't you work today?"

"Unfortunately, but I can go home and sleep a little longer."

"Alright, just rub it in," he teased. "I hate to say it, but I really need to get going. I'll buy you breakfast for the inconvenience. I need some coffee, myself."

"Ah, so you are a caffeine addict." Kairi tried to resist the temptation.

"My drug of choice," he joked. Kairi could tell how tired he was, and it made her feel a little bad. However, she enjoyed her time with him, and she hoped he did too.

Although she had so many questions, she decided to keep them at bay for now.

o-o-o-o

Sora and his fellow associate, Pence, arrived at the Yamada Law Firm. The morning barely started, and Sora could already go for a drink.

"By the way, we're attending that banquet at the hotel on Friday. Your dad received an invitation the other day."

"Oh, I'd totally love to go," Sora replied, unenthused.

Pence caught onto his sarcasm and laughed. "Hey, I'm not too thrilled either. I was supposed to go to my mother's for dinner, but now I'll have to break her heart, as well as the ten cat's hearts, yet again. We all have to attend, because Mr. Yamada is speaking."

 _'And I bet he'll spout the same nonsense he did last year,'_ Sora thought. They made it up to the third floor. "How does your mom fit all those cats into that tiny apartment? And how has she not been caught?"

"I couldn't tell you, my friend. She's been wanting to meet my girlfriend for the longest time, but I'm just too embarrassed to take her there. My mom can't leave the house, either. This would have been one of the few chances I had, but oh well. Work comes first."

"It hardly counts as work. We all have better things to do with our time."

Pence stopped in front of the door that read, _The law offices of Yamada Shiro_. "You're surprisingly chipper today."

"Is that your attempt at sarcasm?"

"Okay, so I'm not a smooth talker like Prince Sora."

Sora laughed. "Nice seeing you, man." They went inside. A few people were waiting in the lobby. Pence went behind the receptionist desk to work on some things and Sora went the opposite direction. His office was the first door on the left.

Sora flipped the light on and set his briefcase down. Kairi texted him and let him know that she made it home about two hours before, but he didn't have a chance to respond. Sora got situated at his desk and booted the computer.

The trial did not go as expected.

Sora knew what was coming next. He didn't bother signing into his computer or doing anything else for that matter. His door opened, and there his father stood.

"Son, a word. My office."

Sora left his phone on the desk and dragged himself back out. Shiki, the receptionist, watched with sympathy as Sora followed his father down to the end of the hallway. Everyone knew the drill at this point.

"Shut the door."

Mr. Yamada rolled his chair forward and clasped his hands tightly together, as if he was trying very hard to compose himself. Sora sat in one of the chairs across from him, ready to tune out whatever jabs he made.

"What was that? What happened in there? A sixteen-month sentence? You realize how this makes us look?"

"It's not what I expected, but—"

Mr. Yamada cut him off. "What a joke. The evidence was there. You did something wrong."

"Dad, I did the best I could." And Sora truly felt that. He kept his eyes glued to the floor. He knew he had all the evidence, he knew he presented it in a manner that would have surely been favorable to lock that waste of a man away for good. But the justice system was heavily flawed, and he couldn't always win. For a long time, Sora thought of that to be an excuse, but money talked, even in a court of law.

"You failed to give her peace of mind. Ms. Ichijouji will be living in fear unless this man is behind bars for the rest of his rotten life. I'm going to have to fix this."

"You always save the day."

However, Sora had already planted the next steps. The client was not too upset and was willing to work with Sora on an appeal in the higher courts. Just because he couldn't do anything this time, didn't mean he was going to give up, even though his father didn't believe in him. Sora considered mentioning this, but just thought it would be better to let the client inform him herself.

"Sora, how are you ever going to be a partner at this firm, or better yet, take over, if you don't learn from your mistakes? I read over the reports and filings, but there were so many crucial things that you missed. I tried not to interfere, but obviously you still need guidance. And stop slouching in your chair."

He wanted to laugh. His father would never make him a partner, title or not, let alone hand over the keys.

"You've been here for three years, and your numbers are dropping. People don't have faith in someone that doesn't care."

This hit a nerve. It was so far from the truth. Sora held still. His father was a master at reading body language. He couldn't let him know how much it really hurt.

"Take the initiative. Stop half-assing."

"I have some work to do. Could I be excused?" Sora asked in the most nonchalant manner he could muster.

Mr. Yamada turned his head and scoffed. "Get out." Sora was glad to oblige. That wasn't the worst he'd ever dealt with, but that didn't mean he wasn't affected. He didn't know how to mend this father-son relationship anymore. Sora felt so detached from him at this point, that if anything, it was like a boss scolding an employee. Nothing more.

Before Sora reached his office, Shiki appeared before him. "Do you need anything? I can run and get you some coffee, or a bagel, or hey! There's this new Thai place that opened down the street. Want some Pho?"

"That's nice of you, but no thanks." Sora locked the door behind him. The blue light on his work phone indicated some new voicemails, but he would have to get to those in a minute. He needed to take a breather. Sora grabbed his cell phone and replied to Kairi's message from earlier.

 _"I'm glad you made it home. Got my first lecture of the day."_

His father's words echoed in his head. He needed a distraction; anything to get his mind working again.

Sora opened his gallery and clicked on the pictures he and Kairi took at the beach the night before. How fortunate he was, to have someone seeming so genuinely interested in him. He was surprised when he asked her to stay the night and she agreed. Her reserved nature intrigued him, and he wanted to figure her out. She could be a little puzzling at times, and even naïve, but Sora didn't mind. Somehow, she made him feel like he didn't have to be alone.

 _"Oh no, so the trial didn't go well?_ _"_

Sora proceeded to tell her some vague details, which he was met with more sympathy.

 _"Anything I can do to cheer you up?"_

 _"Not unless you were here."_

That was a lie. Just having her undivided attention made him feel better. Sora sighed and set his phone down. It was time to get back to work. He had tons of paperwork to do, among a long list of other things. He listened to a few voicemails and jotted down some notes, trying his hardest to focus. He kept glancing at the flashing green light on his phone. He knew it was her, but no. He'll make a few phone calls, set up some appointments, and then he'll get to it.

"Oh, screw it." He had to know what she said. Sora opened Kairi's new message.

 _"Aww, maybe we'll hang out again soon."_

"Maybe?" Sora asked aloud, and then wrote another message. _"Quit trying to be modest. You know you want to."_

Ding.

 _"You're right…_ _but anyway, I won't distract you! I have to do an acrylic on some old lady's nails. Really hope your day gets better. Talk to you later!"_

No, no, no. He didn't want her to go. He needed to talk to her, even if they didn't say much. She gave him something to look forward to.

But for once, Sora held it in.

 _"I'm not going to pretend I know what that means, but alright... Have a good day."_

She sent a smiley face back, but that didn't alter his disappointment.

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o 

_**1/18/2019**_ **  
A/N:** insert cheesy author's note here

Okay, wow. I apologize for my prolonged absence, but I think I'm finally getting back into the swing of things! I missed this fic, and I'm currently obsessing over it. (Could be my SoKai mood and, you know, KINGDOM HEARTS 3, but yeah). Hopefully I can dish out one or two more chapters before we all become shut-ins and play KH3 nonstop

WE'RE ALMOST THERE, GUYS

Leave a review if you'd like!


	5. five

**Five.**

o-o-o-o

Kairi looked over the practice test, only marking one answer wrong. With a satisfied grin, she slid it back across the kitchen table. "Great work today, Ven. I think you're getting the hang of it."

"I'm totally going to flunk this test," the teenager mumbled.

"You'll be just fine." Kairi packed up her things. Ven, Roxas' little brother, was just one of the few kids she had to tutor. He'd been struggling with several of his classes, and Ms. Uchida begged her to help him out.

"Kairi, would you like anything before you go?" she asked.

"No, thank you. My mom told me to stop by afterward. She's bringing some dinner."

"Alright. Tell Roxas to come over more often. I haven't seen him in at least a month."

"What? Oh, I will. He won't hear the end of it."

"Thank you. You've always been so sweet."

Kairi was especially close to Roxas' family. He lived right across the street from her mother's house, and was the first friend she made when she moved to Destiny Islands. Later that same day, she met Namine, and the three became the best of friends.

"Yeah, tell him he still owes me money," Ven added. "He lost a bet."

"Why are you making bets?" Ms. Uchida scolded. "Get in there and keep studying." The disgruntled teenager groaned and dragged himself back to the kitchen.

Kairi saw her mother pull into the driveway across the street. "I'll see you next week, kiddo. Good luck on the test! Have a nice night, Ms. Uchida!"

"Be safe!" she waved.

Kairi greeted her mom in the driveway. Ms. Hikari got out of the car. "Oh, hello, Kai bear. You're just in time. I have a surprise for you."

"Chicken and dumplings?" she asked, hopeful. She noticed someone in the passenger's seat, but it was too dark to tell who it could be. Ms. Hikari pulled several suitcases out of the back seat.

"Well? Go help your grandmother out of the car."

"GRANDMA?!"

Kairi rushed to the other side and nearly tackled the old lady. "You're going to give me a heart attack! Great to see you too, my dear!"

"Wow! You're really here?!"

"Yes, and I have been sitting for what feels like an eternity." Kairi moved out of the way. Her grandma planted her walking stick on the concrete and slowly got out. Kairi escorted her to the door, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Grandma Kay! How long are you here for? This is amazing!"

"Kairi, take some of these bags," her mother said.

Kairi set two suitcases by the door, and her mother hauled in the rest. She joined her grandmother on the couch, astonished that she was even in her presence after what felt like years.

"I'm here for good, Kairi."

"For good?" Kairi gasped. "You're going to live on the islands?!"

She nodded. "Being alone in that house was doing me no good. I can't do the things I want to anymore, either, without some help. Your mother may still work, but at least now I can have someone around. She's letting me use the guest bedroom."

"I'm so happy!" Kairi threw her arms around her. "I'm going to take you everywhere and show you everything!"

"Kairi, your grandma needs to rest."

"Mom, you cannot surprise me with her and then expect me to calm down."

"It's alright, Kiko," Grandma Kay added. "I'm just as happy to see her, but dear, she is right. Tonight, I need some rest, and then let's pick up tomorrow. Take me to that café you were always raving about, and if you want to invite your friends, the more the merrier."

"Unfortunately, Namine and Roxas will be working, but I may have someone else in mind…"

"Fine by me."

Kairi clasped her hands together. She missed Grandma Kay so much, and here she was. No longer would she be an eight-hour train ride away. After helping her get settled in for the night, Kairi returned downstairs to the kitchen. Ms. Hikari had some food on the counter.

"Help yourself," she said.

"Thanks, mom. Sorry, I'm still in shock. How did this come about?"

"Well, it's like she said; she wasn't able to do things on her own anymore, and like you, I missed her too, so I asked. She finally sold her house. I think she will be happier here."

"I'm surprised you didn't do this sooner." Kairi took a bite of a dumpling. "Thank you for the food, too."

"You're welcome. How are the jobs going? What's been going on?"

"Good. Yuna just hired a new girl, and things have been going smoothly. Ven is coming around, too."

She wasn't sure if she wanted to mention Sora just yet. They'd only been seeing each other for about a month. Besides, she wasn't ready for a million questions.

"What are your savings looking like? Have you been keeping the apartment clean?"

These were things only her mother would ask. "I've been saving what I can, and yes, mom." Now that she thought about it, she hadn't even been spending much time at her own apartment, and neither has Namine. "I think Namine will eventually move in with Roxas, so I'm getting familiar with other places."

"You know, you can always come back here."

"I know, Mom."

As much as Kairi loved her mother, she loved her independence too. Living on her own gave her a sense of responsibility, and really allowed her to live on her own terms.

She finished eating and then headed home. She couldn't wait to tell Sora and everyone else the news.

o-o-o-o

Kairi and Grandma Kay entered a small café in the middle of downtown. Excluded from the main floor, it had a comfortable lounging area with red sofa booths, dimmed lighting and soft music. Kairi chose the one in the corner.

"Oh, I like this," Grandma Kay said, situating herself on the soft cushion. "What a hip little place."

"Yeah, it's pretty _hip_ ," Kairi said, then chuckled. "You can do crosswords, drink coffee, write… anything you want here."

"How nice." A waiter came and handed them some menus. "So, where is this friend of yours?"

"He's on his way," Kairi replied, absentmindedly watching the door.

"Is this someone you like?"

Kairi couldn't deny it. It was written all over her face. "We've been hanging out…"

"I never thought I'd see the day," Grandma Kay teased.

"Hey, what does that mean?" Kairi blushed when she saw him walk in. She hoped this would go well. He spotted her and smiled. Her nerves flared as he greeted them.

"Hello," he said, extending his hand. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Sora Yamada." He bumped shoulders with Kairi as he sat down.

"Sora, just call me Grandma Kay." They shook hands. "Kairi, you didn't tell me he was so handsome."

"I'm sure I mentioned it once or twice," Kairi played along, not allowing him to see her face.

"Sora, now that I think about it, your name sounds familiar. You're the boy she liked back then, aren't you?"

"Wow, I guess everyone knew but me," Sora joked, nudging Kairi in the process. This was a horrible idea. Her grandmother remembered _everything_.

Her grandma smiled warmly. "She didn't tell me much, I just recognized the name. It's the only one I ever heard about. So, how did all this start, then?"

Sora smirked at Kairi before responding. She just knew he would be teasing her about it later. "We had a high school reunion. It was pretty lame, but Kairi was there and seemed to be the only other sober person. We started talking and, well, it went from there."

"I'm glad. You two are cute together."

"Yeah, he's fun to be around," Kairi said. They touched hands discreetly beneath the table as her grandmother looked over the menu, but they knew they weren't fooling anyone.

"Kairi, order for me. My old eyes can't read."

"Chips and spinach artichoke dip, coming right up!"

"Ah, my favorite."

"How are you liking things so far?" Sora asked her. "Kairi told me you were moving here, and she's really excited."

"It's definitely nothing like back home." Kairi was a little surprised to hear that, but then her grandmother continued. "I'll just have to make do. Besides, I would rather be with my family. We were apart for long enough."

"You were born and raised in Radiant Garden, right? I would love to see that place someday. I hear so many good things about it."

"It's a beautiful town with a rich history. The architecture is unlike any in the world. They also have an abundance of colorful flower fields, crystal clear lakes and many, many hiking trails, if you're into nature. I miss it already, and this is going to be quite the adjustment, but this is for the best."

"That sounds amazing."

"Much of my childhood was spent in flower fields or just swimming in the lake," Kairi added.

"Oh, Kai bear, you were such a sweet child. Where did the days go? So many fond memories."

"Yeah, I think we all miss those times," Kairi said.

"No doubt about it. I remember when you used to beg me to play with you or tell you a story. You had this stuffed dog that you took everywhere, too."

Sora chuckled. "Ah, Kai bear. So that's where it comes from. What was the stuffed dog's name?"

"Harley. He was my best friend." Kairi pouted.

"She would never leave the house without him," Grandma Kay continued. "Then, unfortunately she lost him one day. We were at the park, and I'm not sure what happened, but when we got home, the toy was nowhere to be found. That was a hard day for her."

"Aww." Sora squeezed her hand. "How awful."

"I've never forgotten him. He will live in my heart forever," Kairi declared, jokingly.

"That's right!" Sora said. Their food came, and he finally let go of her hand. "Well, when I was a kid, I had my share of stuffed animals, as well as a lot of imaginary friends."

"Kairi loved her stuffed animals. She would often come up with scripts and have me play along."

"Really? That sounds like something she would do," Sora replied.

"It's weird, because she never really had any friends."

"Thanks, Grandma!"

"It's true, at least until you moved. I would always ask if you wanted to go and play with the other kids, but you never wanted to. You would rather spend time with me. Which, I'm not complaining, but I did worry about you."

"I turned out just fine," Kairi defended.

"I don't know about that…" Sora jested, then flinched when Kairi's hand rose.

They all took a moment to eat. As nervous as Kairi was about him meeting her, she realized that she had nothing to worry about. Sora could adapt to any situation, it seemed.

"So, what do you do, Sora?" Grandma Kay asked.

"I'm an attorney."

"Oh, well that's nice. Tough occupation."

Sora shrugged. "It can be at times, but I truly love it."

"That's the key. Kairi here has yet to find what her true passion is. Didn't you want to get into broadcasting?"

Kairi set her drink down. "Yeah, I wanted to get into video production, like editing for TV and movies, but I just couldn't afford to stay in school, unfortunately. I was only able to attend the university for a year. I studied communications and broadcasting, but then I had to drop out."

Grandma Kay gave a confused look. "I never heard anything from your mother. I could have helped."

"You know how Mom is; stubborn, just like you." Kairi giggled. "It's okay. I taught myself the basics, and then some. I just wish I had a better computer. Nowadays, it just freezes up on me when I'm trying to edit and I can't get anything done."

"Oh, right, because you do those video logs," Sora said.

"Yeah, just not lately for that very reason. But I miss it. Everything has to be done on my phone. I've been trying to save money a little more, so that maybe I can go back to school, get a new laptop and finish up."

"I think that's a great idea," Sora beamed.

Kairi nodded. "If not, I guess teaching wouldn't be too bad. I can teach English to kids online."

"I am just flabbergasted." Grandma Kay started. "How could you not come to me?"

"You know my mom hates asking for money, and I guess she instilled that in me."

"That's it. It's done. You're going back to school, young lady."

"Grandma, it's okay, really! I think I almost have enough saved for one semester, and I can—"

"Kairi, I am seventy-six years old. I just sold my house, and I have plenty of money. I will pay for your education. That is that."

"Wow! Kairi, you'd better take that! I'm going to be paying my student loans for at least another ten years."

Kairi sat back in her chair. It was like her life just changed in an instant. "I don't know what to say. Just… wow. Really?"

"Don't be stubborn. When do classes start?"

Sora opened his phone and checked. "Looks like next month, and they have late enrollment. This is the school just a few blocks from here; Destiny College of Arts. They have nine-month, twelve-month, and two-year programs."

"You said you need a new computer too? We'll go shopping for one right after this."

"Grandma…"

"Kairi, you are my one and only granddaughter. I will do anything I can to help."

"That's amazing. I'm so excited for you, Kairi!" Sora pat her back.

"I have several conditions, however," Grandma Kay said, "one, you must quit one of your jobs. It's too much of a distraction."

"But Grandma, I still have rent to pay," Kairi pointed out, but she didn't seem to hear her.

"Two, this whole dating thing between you two must not get in the way."

"I won't talk to her unless she's done with all of her homework!" Sora declared. "You don't have to worry about me. I want her to succeed."

Kairi had no idea how to react. Would she really be able to do the one thing she'd always loved? She wouldn't have to sit in a nail salon and listen to customers whine about their lives? Still, as much as she wanted to be independent; something she swore she would do the moment she moved out of her mother's house, she just couldn't refuse the offer any longer.

"And my last condition is, just do the best that you possibly can."

"Thank you, Grandma…" Kairi lowered her head. She was so happy, she wanted to cry. This was an amazing opportunity. She couldn't leave the nail salon, however. She still had bills to pay.

"Looks like they're still doing campus tours. Go check it out!" Sora said, continuing to scroll around on the website. "I'll send you this link."

"Thanks..."

"Kairi, why are you being shy? He clearly likes you a lot."

"Aww, c'mon, Grandma Kay! I told you that in confidence!" Sora pouted. Kairi buried her face in her hands, but then ended up laughing along with them.

"Well, you're a nice young man. Very personable."

"Thank you, ma'am." The waiter dropped off their check. Sora took it before her grandmother had the chance. "I've got it."

"Sora, you don't have to do that," Kairi said.

"Dear, let the man pay." She nodded in appreciation.

"I hate to leave so soon, but I have to get back to work. Thanks for inviting me out today," he said, sliding the check to the side of the table. "It was very nice meeting you. Kairi completely adores you, and I can see why."

"As do I. She is the light of my life."

Sora smiled at Kairi. "I know." She blushed and turned her head. "Well, Kairi, I'll call you later." Sora pat her shoulder and waved to her grandmother. "See you next time."

"I look forward to it. Come over for dinner sometime," she called after him.

"Gladly!"

Kairi sat in awe. That went surprisingly well.

"Kairi, you may have found yourself a good one."

"Maybe…"

o-o-o-o

It was the end of another long day at the office. Sora shut his light off and strapped his briefcase over his shoulder.

"Shiki? What are you still doing here?" he asked, spotting her by the lobby door.

"I didn't want to disturb you, and I hate to ask this, but could you escort me home?" Shiki asked nervously. "There's this guy that keeps creeping around the apartment complex, and Neku is working late tonight."

"Sure thing," he said, walking out with her and locking up. They made it to a cab and got inside.

"Thanks for coming with me. I seriously can't sleep at night knowing this creeper is around."

"Hasn't anyone called the police?" Sora asked.

"Several times, but he's never been caught. He's peeping through windows and such. My neighbor, a college freshman, called the cops on him just the other day…"

"Man, that's terrible. You sure you don't need me to stay until Neku gets home?"

"That's kind of you, but I can manage. I keep all the curtains shut. So, how are you? I feel like we never get the chance to just sit and chat," Shiki said.

"I'm doing alright. Just taking it one day at a time."

"Your dad is hard on all of us, but especially you. I just hope you're okay."

Sora smiled. "He's been that way my entire life. I know he wants what's best for me, but he just has a bad way of showing it."

Shiki looked out the window. "Do you think you'll ever take over?"

"Maybe, if he doesn't fire me before then."

"There's no way. You're our best lawyer!" Sora shook his head. "Seriously! You work your butt off."

"Thanks." Sora said.

"Maybe someday I'll be one myself." Shiki winked.

"I know you can do it," he encouraged. The cab turned onto her street. "You sure you'll be alright? Make sure to lock all the doors." The cab stopped in front of her house, and he waited until she got inside. Shiki always made him feel better somehow, so he was thankful. This was the least he could do for her.

Sora made it home twenty minutes later. He exchanged messages back and forth with Kairi. Unless they were asleep, they could barely go a few hours without talking. Once the cab dropped him off, he called her instead.

"Hey," she answered. "I haven't talked to you in forever!"

"I know, it's been an entire minute and a half." Sora walked past his apartment building and onto the dock. It was always lively around here, but he wanted to just stare at the ocean. "What are you doing?"

"I just got home from my mom's. Grandma is settling in."

"Your grandmother is awesome. Thanks for letting me meet her."

"You're welcome?" Kairi giggled. He heard Namine's voice in the background, and then Kairi responding to her. Sora leaned on the railing and watched the waves. "Sorry, she was asking me something."

"It's cool." Sora sighed. "I wish you were here."

"Aww, me too. Don't worry, you'll see me this weekend, remember? You actually have Saturday off this time. We should do something special."

"I know, it's a miracle. But that's three days from now…"

"Or maybe something can be arranged a little earlier?" she suggested.

"I'd like that."

Sora couldn't go one hour without thinking of this girl, so knowing that he had to wait several days before he could see her again just ate him up inside. He even fought her when she had to get off the phone. It drove him crazy. She promised to text until she fell asleep, and he held her to that.

He didn't quite understand it, either. One side of him wanted to rush in, head first, then deal with any consequences later. The other half took three steps backward. What was it about her? Why did she consume his mind so much? Not only was she extremely attractive, she was really starting to open up more to him. He felt like she needed him in some way, and he liked that feeling.

He just didn't want to admit that he may have needed her more.

Sora's eyes were glued to his phone as he stepped off the elevator.

 _Kairi is typing…_

He walked slowly down the hall, waiting for her message to come through. The text disappeared, and he finally decided to come back to reality. Sora pulled his keys from his pocket and found the right one.

"Sora?"

Sora stopped dead in his tracks. A woman stood beside his apartment door, suitcase on one side of her, and a toddler on the other.

Speechless, all he could do was stand there. His phone buzzed. Was he seeing things right now?

"Sora, it's me."

 _'You have got to be kidding...'_ His blood boiled.

"Yeah, I-I know who you are, Xion. What on earth are you doing here? How did you find out where I lived?" Sora didn't recognize the child behind her, but his black hair and blue eyes did bare a resemblance.

"Your sister told me."

 _'What the hell, Rinoa?'_ Sora thought he made it pretty clear to her not to tell anyone where he lived, especially not his ex-girlfriend. "Um, well, what do you want? I'm tired and I—"

"I need your help. Jin and I don't have anywhere to stay for the night."

 _'I wonder whose child that is? Definitely not mine.'_

Sora didn't want to take out his frustration on her in front of an innocent child, but it was getting harder to hold his tongue. Even if he gave her money to stay elsewhere, she would keep coming back.

"Listen, Xion, I haven't seen you in four years, and we didn't exactly end on good terms. I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I'll call my sister, and you can talk to her if you need a place, but not here." He moved past her and unlocked his door. He felt bad for the kid, but that wasn't his responsibility. After what happened between them, it infuriated him that she would even have the nerve…

"Sora, wait!" she pleaded, making him hesitate. "Are you really that heartless? You would leave us stranded here?"

He let go of the door handle and clenched his fists. Xion hadn't changed one bit. "Why are you trying to make this my problem? I don't want anything to do with you." With that, Sora went inside and made sure to lock the door behind him. The child started crying. He went to his room and tried to drown out the noise.

What the _hell_ was wrong with her?!

Sora called his sister until she picked up.

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

 _2/11/2019_

 **A/N** : Review? Yes? No? Okay…

By the way, KH3 was amazing. I am in love with that game. I can't believe we live in a time where we can say we have played it…

'til next time, folks!


	6. six

**Six.**

o-o-o-o

Sora could barely contain his anger as the phone continued to ring.

Rinoa groggily answered. "What?"

"What the _hell_ is your problem?!" Sora fumed. He paced back and forth in his room. "How could you give that whore my address?"

"Okay, whoa, slow your roll. When were you going to tell us that you had a kid?"

Sora's jaw dropped. "What? Is that what she told you?! I haven't seen or talked to her in four years! That kid isn't a day over two! He's not mine!"

Rinoa groaned. "Well, how was I supposed to know, Sora? It's not like you make any efforts to include us in your life. I haven't heard from you in at least two months."

Sora's back hit the bedroom door. "Regardless, I can't believe you would do this. You could have called me first. You know how I feel about her!"

"I may know what happened then, but again, we don't talk. I felt bad for the child, and I thought I was doing the right thing. Now, calm down and go deal with it yourself. Goodnight."

 _'What the… hell?!'_

The line went dead. Infuriated, Sora nearly threw his phone. He could faintly hear the kid crying and started to worry about his neighbors. Was she seriously still out there? What was she trying to accomplish? It'd been years, and now she wanted to dump some innocent child on him? He couldn't say it surprised him; her upbringing wasn't the greatest. She always had issues, but this… this crossed the line.

Still, he had to do something to make this go away. Disgruntled, Sora went back to his front door and opened it. Xion was cradling the toddler in her arms, and he was quieting down.

"Come in until I can figure something out," he said. Xion stared at him in disbelief, but then grabbed her suitcase and followed him inside. Sora kept his distance from her as she set Jin on the couch.

"Thank you."

"This doesn't mean anything, I just didn't want you to disturb the neighbors." He pulled out his phone and went to the website of the hotel nearby. He didn't know what else to do. "I'm going to book you two nights at this place down the road, but that's all I will do. I don't want to see you again."

"Sora, I need your help." He glared at her from across the room, but then continued to enter details into his phone. "Could you just hear me out?"

"Why did you tell my sister he was my kid?"

Xion bowed her head. "I didn't know how else to find you, other than showing up at your workplace." Sora paused on the booking screen. He really didn't want to spend nearly a hundred dollars just to make her leave, but he felt trapped in front of the child.

Did he still have a weak spot for her, though?

"Don't worry, I didn't come here because I want you back or anything. I don't deserve that. I just need a lawyer and you were the only one I knew I could trust."

Sora wanted to strangle her for those words. Was she kidding?!

"Jin's father is trying to take him from me. I can't lose my child…"

Sora shook his head. Drama followed her wherever she went, even after all this time. "And is this the guy you cheated on me with? Is that what you're asking me right now? To help you get away from him?"

"No, this is someone else." Xion couldn't look him in the eye. "I knew it was wishful thinking, and that you probably still hated me…" Sora scoffed. "But Sora, I don't have anyone else. I lost my job, I barely have any money. I can't bear to watch my child suffer anymore. His father has a decent job, but he…"

"Stop," Sora said. "Just freaking stop."

Tears formed in her eyes, but he wasn't buying it. Xion always did this; came up with elaborate stories for her own personal gain. She lied to Rinoa just to get here. Why should he believe her?

"Please, Sora…"

Although he dealt with cases just like these on a daily basis, this one hit home. His pride and bitterness spoke for him, and he was about to lose it. Whatever situation Xion was in, surely she brought it upon herself.

"You don't have any money. Are you expecting me to work for free? Just get a public defender. Don't drag me down with you. That phase of my life ended a long time ago." He confirmed her reservation. He hated himself for doing so, but he couldn't live with himself if he allowed this child to sleep on the streets. He also pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet. "There, it's done. Get the kid something to eat, enjoy your free night in a decent hotel, and don't ever come here again."

He expected her to lash out at him, but instead, she just took the boy's hand and headed for the door.

o-o-o-o

Kairi felt like a 5th wheel.

"Go! Knock him out!" yelled her friend, Olette, beside her.

"Hayner is really doing well," Namine said, legitimately surprised. "He may actually win this round."

"Of _course_ he's going to win!" Olette defended, then proceeded to root for her boyfriend on stage. Roxas inched away from her. She was getting a little too excited over this _Struggle_ match.

"Roxas, why don't you play anymore?" Namine asked.

"Because I'm a working adult," he jested. "It was fun when we were teenagers, but I just don't feel like committing to the sport." He looked to Kairi. "Hey, you alright?"

Kairi looked up from her phone. She only tagged along because she didn't want to stay home. She loved hanging out with her friends, but not having Sora there dampened her spirits a little. "I'm fine, no worries."

"Kairi just misses her man," Namine teased. "What's it been? A month or two now?"

"A little over a month. We're not official or anything, though."

Namine nearly choked on her drink. "He hasn't asked you out?"

"Good, and he'd better not," Roxas chimed in, his distaste apparent.

Kairi chuckled. "Thanks, _bro_ , but I don't need your approval."

"Who?" Olette asked, but then jumped for joy when she saw that Hayner won the match. Kairi and the others clapped.

"You know, he's actually really sweet," Kairi said. She checked her phone to see if he replied, but nothing.

Roxas scoffed. "That's hard for me to believe. You seem to have forgotten; he and his friends used to pick on me. Well, maybe not him as much as the others, but I digress."

"Don't worry, I'll put him in his place on that matter." Kairi grinned. "Besides, you're a lot tougher than you used to be."

"Just know that if he does anything to hurt you, I will not let it slide."

"Me neither!" Namine added.

"Thanks, guys."

Roxas was like the brother she never had. He _would_ say such things. He used to be so shy and reserved, but ever since he entered the working world, his confidence shot way up. Back then, Kairi would have never expected him to be the general manager of a hotel. She was so proud of him.

"Guys, I'm going to join Hayner over there. Thanks for coming with!" Olette waved.

"Alright, see you later," Namine replied. The trio stayed put as people left the bleachers. Olette came and went at this point, so they were used to it.

"So, where to?" Kairi asked.

"I think I need a drink on this wonderful Friday night," Namine said. "Wanna head downtown?"

"Sounds good to me," Kairi agreed. "And Roxas is buying."

"What? Why me?"

"Because it would be the gentlemanly thing to do."

"Oh, whatever. You're just as much a feminist as me." Namine giggled. Roxas knew he wasn't going to win this one. They called an uber and made it to Cid's, their favorite bar, about twenty minutes later. Kairi and Namine took a booth near the back wall, while Roxas begrudgingly went to buy the first round of drinks.

"He really didn't have to do that," Kairi said.

"You're getting a free drink. Don't complain." Namine replied. "Why don't you invite Sora? Didn't you say he worked around here?"

"Yeah, the firm is somewhere downtown. I don't know, should I?" She knew he was off all weekend, and they were planning on hanging out anyway.

"Stop asking stupid questions and just do it. You've been staring at your phone all night."

Kairi looked to Roxas. "I don't want them to fight. You know how Roxas is when he drinks." Namine deadpanned. "Alright, alright. I'll invite him." It was going on nine, so hopefully he would be free soon. Kairi sent the message. Roxas returned to the table, drinks in tow. He handed Kairi a blue cocktail drink, and Namine the orange-red one.

"Beer?" Namine asked, astonished.

"I'm trying to cut back," he claimed. Namine couldn't suppress her laughter.

"Yeah, I'd like to see that happen."

"Fine, I'll make a bet. If I can successfully make it through the night without hollering, crying, or singing any karaoke, you have to… uh, give me a foot rub later."

"Gross!" Namine yelled. She loathed touching other people's feet.

"Leave me out of this one," Kairi said, knowing all too well how nasty people's feet can be. "But what happens if you fail?"

"If you fail you have to be my mannequin for the new clothes line. Male _and_ female." Namine put out her hand. "Deal?"

"Roxas, I don't think you should agree to this. You're such a lightweight," Kairi warned, amused.

Roxas took a swig of his beer and shook his girlfriend's hand. "Eh, I'll be fine. Deal!"

o-o-o-o

He lost.

They were huddled in their own corner on the dance floor. Kairi watched as her two best friends made fools of themselves.

"Roxas, turn down the music! It's so loud in here!" Namine pleaded.

"Let's request a song! I can't get in the groove!"

"Oh, God! Do you know how you sound right now?" Kairi swayed to the music. Roxas clearly couldn't dance. He did several messy moves in front of Namine, causing her to laugh hysterically as he swung her around.

"Is this your version of the Waltz? What are you doing?" Namine asked between fits of laughter.

"Watch me, babe!" He lifted her hand in the air. "Spin!"

"No, I'll get dizzy!" Namine fell into his arms. Kairi shook her head. They'd only been here for an hour, and her two best friends were already wasted.

"GUYS!" Roxas exclaimed, "Karaoke! Let's go!" Namine adamantly refused several times, so Roxas dragged Kairi on stage with him. Kairi felt a bit tipsy herself, so she didn't mind this as much as she would sober. They were given microphones, and Roxas chose a song.

A minute later, Sora entered the busy bar. The loud music blared in his ears, and he could already tell he didn't like it here. Sora preferred a more mellow atmosphere; not college frat boys drooling over waitresses or people getting into fights.

But truth be told, he needed a drink. The stress from the last few days was piling up. Sora looked through the crowd for Kairi. Much to his surprise, he spotted her on stage, singing some 90's song.

It didn't sound good at all, he concluded. He moved closer, amused.

"Hey, Sora!" Namine waved.

"Oh, hey," he said, immediately noticing her intoxicated demeanor. "How are you?"

"Me? I'm great, and so is Kairi!"

"Glad to hear."

Kairi stopped singing mid-sentence. "Uh, um…" she stumbled a few steps to the side, nearly losing her balance, but Roxas caught her. "Sora!" You're here!" she happily yelled into the microphone. "Come sing with us!"

"Yes! Go, Sora!" Namine urged, giving him a push. The rest of the crowd applauded along with her.

"Are you serious? No way!"

How drunk was she? He _really_ wasn't in the mood for this, but…

"Yeah, _Sora,_ " Roxas shouted, "come show us how absolutely sensational you are. Kairi must have reasons for liking you so much! The reasons are beyond me, frankly, I don't know what she sees in you, but… wait, I lost my train of thought…"

"Roxas, stop it! You're so drunk!" Roxas threw his arm around her and kept singing; Kairi joining in shortly after.

Sora wasn't sure how to feel at the moment. Namine took several pictures beside him, as well as video. He knew they were friends, but this wasn't sitting well with him.

Kairi wasn't like that, right?

Stress. It was the stress that gave him doubts. Of course she wasn't. Still, he didn't like the sight before him, and he wanted it to stop.

"I'm recording all of this!" Namine shouted, moving around the stage with her phone. She was nearly in tears from laughing so much.

The song ended, and the two friends separated. "Sora!" Kairi exclaimed, pointing her microphone in his direction.

"Alright, fine," he said to no one in particular. He climbed onto the stage and greeted her with a peck on the lips. He could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"You need a microphone. Hey, someone get him one!" Kairi exclaimed. "Actually, I'm tired now. You can use mine."

"Are you leaving me, Kai?" Roxas whined.

"Don't worry, Sora will sing with you!"

Sora faced the crowd, unsure of how to react. He hadn't done anything like this in a long time. Maybe he just needed to relax and not think for once. Alcohol would have helped a little more, but he could do without for now. Everyone around him was having a good time, right?

"Oh, this is going to be horrible!" Roxas pouted. Okay, he had to admit, it was funny seeing a guy like him waving his arms around and acting like a child. If he recalled correctly, Roxas used to be quieter than Kairi growing up.

"Kairi, why don't you pick the song?" Sora suggested.

"Wait! I don't want to sing with him! I hate him!" Roxas complained, but the crowd chanted over it.

"Aww, that hurts my feelings," Sora said, draping his arm around the intoxicated man. A familiar song started playing, and Sora swayed back and forth, pulling Roxas along with him. Kairi and Namine cheered them on from the bar. She couldn't believe Sora would go along with this, completely sober at that.

 _"She took the midnight train goin' anywhere!"_ Sora sang, continuing to drag Roxas around the stage with him. He was just happy the man wasn't anywhere near Kairi anymore.

 _"Hold onto the feeeeeling!"_

"YEAH!" Namine applauded.

"Namine, isn't he just amazing? I just want to hug him. I really do. He likes hugs. Can I just take him home? Please?"

"Yes, dear, but let them finish their song first."

Kairi sighed. How could Sora be so perfect? He just blended right in, as usual.

"Another drink?" Namine offered, but Kairi shook her head. She was done for the night.

"Suit yourself!"

After the song was over, they all gathered at an empty booth. Roxas slipped in next to Kairi before Sora had a chance and locked his arm around hers. He was so far gone. Kairi thought nothing of it and sipped on some water to sober up.

"I'm going to have a huge hangover in the morning, but nothing as bad as this guy right here," Kairi said.

"You only had like two drinks! You need more!" Namine pointed out. She'd lost count of her own, but she also swore the current one would be her last. Kairi would have to make sure the two get home safely.

"Yeah," she said, and yawned. "They must have been really strong. I was seeing double for a while!" Roxas nearly passed out on her shoulder. "Ew, you're drooling!"

"Kairi," Roxas mumbled, "don't get involved with weird men. They just want to bone you…" He snuggled closer.

Sora looked to Namine. Was she really not bothered by this?

"Alright, Roxas. It's bedtime for you," Kairi said, gently pushing him off. Sora pulled out his phone. He wished it didn't affect him so much, but he couldn't help it. He took a swig of his beer.

"Nams, Kairi is being mean to me," Roxas whined.

"You totally lost the bet!" Namine laughed. "I can't wait to dress him in drag!" Roxas rested his head on the table and groaned.

Kairi pat his back. "There, there." She noticed Sora on his phone. "Thanks for coming, Sora. Please excuse him, he doesn't hold his liquor well."

"Yeah, I can see that." He forced a smile. Kairi felt something was off, but didn't say anything. Naturally, however, she was going to worry until she found out. They all were pretty much winding down at this point.

"I think I'm going to call it a night," she said, eyeing Sora. "I'll get you two a cab, alright?"

"No!" Roxas shouted, not lifting his head from the table. "I still have to sing that one song! You know, the one about… about… big butts."

After her friends were accounted for, Kairi and Sora waited for their own cab. By this point, the alcohol had worn off and Kairi found herself constantly yawning. She took Sora's hand, but he still didn't say much.

Something was wrong, and she had no idea what it was.

They made it back to his apartment a short time later. Small talk ensued, and Sora wrote it off as being tired. Kairi didn't believe it, but she decided to change the subject. She followed him back to his room. Sora grabbed a change of comfortable clothes from his drawer.

"You staying over?" he asked.

"You want me to go home at one in the morning?"

"Well, no." As he made his way to the bathroom to change, Kairi wrapped her arms around him from behind. She loved being close to him. It made her feel safe.

"I missed nights like these," Kairi reminisced, resting her head on his back. "Just coming out and having fun without a care in the world… man. Relaxing is great most of the time, but I think I needed this."

"You needed to get drunk?" Sora asked. "I'm not following." A tinge of bitterness rang in his voice.

There it was.

"Sora, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"It's definitely something… you've been acting weird since you got to the bar. Is everything okay?"

He sighed and stared at the floor. Kairi had no idea what she could have possibly done to upset him, if it was even her fault.

"I'm just tired." He repeated.

Kairi let go and lowered her head. "That's not it."

"I'm going to get changed."

"Sora? Please tell me what's wrong…"

He stopped in front of the bathroom door. He didn't want to do this. He knew he was wrong, but Sora didn't function well under sleep deprivation. He couldn't stand holding things in, either.

"Okay, so… I guess I'm a little confused."

"About what?" she asked. Sora faced her.

"I know Roxas is dating Namine, but I felt like he was way too close with you tonight. It made me really uncomfortable to see him all over you like that, and just the fact that you thought nothing of it baffles me even more."

Kairi's jaw dropped. Was he serious? "He was wasted. Roxas is like a brother to me. Nothing more."

"That's not what I saw. Intoxicated or not, a guy doesn't just wrap his arms around a girl, or cuddle with her unless he's interested. I have no idea why Namine wouldn't say anything about that either, and frankly, I just don't like it." 

"He wasn't _cuddling_ with me, he nearly passed out." Kairi walked up to him. "Namine trusts both of us completely. Roxas would never do anything like that, and neither would I. We don't have any feelings for each other outside of friendship."

"I doubt that. You just went along with it, and with me right there? It almost felt intentional."

"Whoa, hold on," Kairi griped. "What even are we? Are you my boyfriend? Because last time I checked, we were just dating. We aren't bound to each other."

Sora scoffed. "Good to know where I stand. I thought you cared a little more than that. Maybe I should go out, get drunk and hook up with someone."

He instantly regretted that.

His words stung, but her anger continued to rise. He had no right to accuse her of such stupid things. Roxas and Namine were her best friends. "Maybe you should. This is ridiculous." Kairi sniffled and grabbed her purse. "I can't believe you would think this of me. I'm going home."

This was too cruel. She thought he knew her better than that. Was he completely clueless?! She was crazy about him!

"Kairi, wait," he said, catching up with her in the hallway. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" She could barely hold back her tears. "You can't take it back, Sora. You clearly don't trust me!"

 _'Great, I screwed up…'_ he thought. Sora grabbed hold of her and didn't let go. Kairi struggled at first, visibly distraught.

"G-get off of me, Sora!"

"I got jealous and freaked out. Please, Kairi… I'm so sorry, I'm just really stressed…"

"What is there to be jealous of?!"

Sora couldn't even come up with answers anymore; he knew he was the irrational one. Was it because of his stupid ex-girlfriend, and how she cheated on him so many times? How could he be like this so many years later? He was over it! Did he really not trust the woman in front of him?

"I'm sorry, Kairi," was all he could muster. Kairi gave in and buried her face in his chest.

"You're such an idiot…" she mumbled. "You should know that's not true."

"You're right." He sighed. Kairi didn't deserve this. Sora wiped her tears away as he mashed his lips with hers. This was his fault, and now he wanted to fix it. She sniffled, pathetically crumbling in his presence.

She couldn't deny it. Even after all that, she wanted him. Kairi tugged at his shirt. His kisses were gentle, apologetic. Did he have this much of a hold over her, that she would just ditch her pride and allow him to take over?

Yes, yes he did.

Sora pushed her against the wall. He refused to go to bed angry. This was his chance to make things right. He tangled his fingers in her hair and jerked her head upward to gain access to her neck. The tingling sensation caused an involuntary gasp, and she had to hold onto him a little tighter just to compensate for the lack of control.

He loved when she did that.

Kairi desperately forced his lips back to hers, now unbuttoning his work shirt. Sora had no objections, allowing her to do as she pleased. His bitter feelings drowned with each touch, each fervent breath. This was the woman he wanted to be with. She was nothing like the others; she was better. He never should have doubted her in the first place.

He had to have her.

"And you were trying to get changed in the bathroom?" she whispered, pulling the shirt off him. Until now, she always allowed him to take charge, so he wasn't sure what to do in the moment. Her fingers lined the rim of his pants, and a playful smirk appeared.

"Kairi…"

She pulled back slightly, undoing the button on his pants. "Could we move to the bed?"

He didn't think twice.

o-o-o-o

Sora rolled onto his back, taking deep breaths. Kairi moved closer and lay her head on his chest.

"Okay, I don't think I can go a 3rd time," he said.

"Relax. I just want to cuddle." He embraced her, pushing her hair from her face. Kairi shut her eyes. Was this for real? It seemed every day with him continued to get better, despite their argument just a few hours before. The fact that he was jealous made her feel like he really cared, even if it was petty. She hoped he could trust her a little more now, especially after what they just did.

"I promise to buy condoms first thing tomorrow," Sora said. "I thought I had some, but I guess not."

"Yes, please do. I guess I should have been more prepared, too." Kairi's heart pounded. "Honestly, that was my first—and second time."

"What?" His grip loosened.

"I'm not saying I've never done _anything_ , but as far as this goes…" Kairi's face reddened.

Sora blinked several times. "I just took your virginity?!"

"It's weird, isn't it?" Kairi avoided his gaze.

"Yes? N-no, I meant it's not weird. I mean, I guess it was a little hard to…" he paused, "wait, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Only a little." Kairi blushed. "I didn't tell you because I thought it would ruin the moment. I never really let anyone get close to me like this, so it's a little scary for me."

"No, no, it's okay. I just feel a little bad now, but it's also kinda hot…"

Kairi laughed it off, but she could feel her anxiety creeping in once again.

"Wow." Sora kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes. "You're really beautiful, you know that?"

"Well, I never thought I was ugly," she joked, trying to make herself feel better. Sora laughed and pulled her in. The moonlight shone through the window.

"I could fall asleep just like this," he said.

"Me too."

"Anyway, I'm so sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have overreacted the way that I did."

"Stop apologizing, it's fine. I'm still trying to process these last few hours. The shower was… nice."

"Yeah, definitely. We should take showers together more often."

"Maybe we will."

Sora chuckled and massaged her arm. "I am curious about something, though. You said you never let anyone get close to you? May I ask why?"

"I guess I just didn't want to deal with it."

"What do you mean?"

Kairi hesitated. This wasn't something she liked to talk about, but he seemed genuinely interested. He told her everything, so she figured she could at least let him in on something.

"When I was growing up, my mom would go out on a bunch of dates. She had a good relationship or two, but then they would end. She also had some bad ones. I would try to tune out the fighting, but I never could completely. It made me think that it was pointless to be in a relationship. My real father not being around also made me bitter, but I tried not to dwell on it."

"I see. That can definitely mess with someone's psyche."

"Yeah. That didn't mean I didn't still want a relationship, but whenever I would go out with someone, things would fizzle out. I thought it was my fault for a long time, like I was boring or pushing them away, but looking back I just realized we weren't compatible."

"That's usually what it comes down to," he agreed. "I think you and I have a good thing going here."

"Me too," Kairi agreed, then let out another yawn.

"Listen, Kairi, I know I'm pretty straightforward, and I may go a little too fast sometimes, but even I get cold feet every once and a while. So, I understand to a degree. I just want you to know that you can always talk to me."

"Thank you. You're sweet."

"I try to be. I really enjoy being with you, Kairi. I don't want you to ever think otherwise."

"Same here." She looked at the clock. "Wow, it's almost three in the morning."

"Alright, I'll shut up now," he teased. "Goodnight."

She kissed him. "Goodnight."

o-o-o-o

 _2/15/19_  
 **A/N:** okay, lmao, sorry for the KH3 theme song insert  
I had to  
Review if you want and have a super awesome day!


	7. seven

**Seven.**

o-o-o-o

A wave of guilt washed over Xion as she adjusted her clothes.

"Same time tomorrow night?" he asked in a husky voice.

"We'll see." That was not how this worked. She didn't plan to ever see his ugly face again. At least she now had enough to stay another night. She took the money and exited the man's car. Thank goodness this hotel accepted cash, despite Sora's credit card being on file. Xion was careful not to use it for anything but a placeholder; she didn't want to ruin his life any more than she already had. The last four years without him were rough to say the least, but she knew it was her fault.

Was forgiveness out of the question? Xion figured as much.

Jin slept soundly in the queen-sized bed. Xion couldn't go near him after what she just did. She felt dirty. She slept with strangers just so she could leave her two-and-a-half-year-old alone in a hotel room she could barely afford. Still, she had to do what she could for her son, even if it meant casting aside her own morals and self-worth. For Jin, she would do anything.

After a lengthy shower, Xion slid into the bed next to her child. Her eyes watered as she watched him.

She really didn't help her case in the end, however. Her ex, Seifer, had so much against her, that she felt the only way she could keep Jin with her was to run. If he found them, Jin would be gone and she would lose all her rights. Seifer had the money, the support system, and the stability. What did she have? Nothing but baggage. He probably figured out by now that she came back to the islands, so she knew she couldn't stay much longer.

Sora…

Just the sheer pain in his eyes when he saw her was more than enough validation. He hated her, and rightfully so. She ruined what they had, and there was no turning back. Still, at the same time, she needed him now more than ever.

Why did she always make everything so hard on herself? She knew what she was doing the moment she left Sora's house that day so many years ago, and yet she didn't stop. She was mad. She wanted temporary fixes.

In the end, she lost him, and her life spiraled out of control.

Xion held Jin close, unable to stop the tears. He was the only reason she continued to hang on.

o-o-o-o

Sora stirred in his sleep.

"Sora?" Kairi's voice appeared, "Sora, someone's at the door." She nudged him.

He mumbled as his eyes slowly opened, and then he heard the banging on his front door. Thrown off guard, Sora looked at the time. Almost one in the afternoon. _'That'd better not be who I think it is…_ ' he thought, his nerves escalating. Fearing the absolute worst, Sora scrambled to put on some clothes. If it was her...

His phone buzzed on the nightstand, and it wasn't until he saw the name that he calmed down.

"Riku? What's up?"

"I knew you were home. Open your door!"

Sora sighed in relief. "Huh? Alright, give us a minute."

"Us?"

Sora hung up, stalling for a moment to take in Kairi's half naked body. "Morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," she replied, absentmindedly covering herself with the blanket. After the two were fully clothed and somewhat presentable, Sora went to answer the door. Kairi stood by the couch, a little embarrassed by the implications.

Not that it mattered—they were adults.

Riku raised his hand to greet him, but before he could say anything, two kids jumped from behind him. "Uncle Sora!"

"Whoa!" Sora nearly lost his balance from the impact. "The kids, too? Man, have they grown!"

"Sorry to barge in like this, but…" Riku waved a decorative bag in his face. "Happy birthday!"

"Birthday?" Kairi questioned, her face going pale. She had no idea!

Sora gave a nervous laugh, carefully detaching himself from the young boy and girl. "Yeah, thanks, but it's not that big of a deal… wait, what are you _really_ doing here, Riku?" He glared. "What did you do this time? You even brought the kids, so it must be _bad._ "

Riku set the bag on the table. "Why must you assume this every time I come to visit?"

"Because that's the reason you gave the last two times."

"Mommy was mad!" exclaimed the little girl. She was a spitting image of her mother, with jet black hair and bright, green eyes.

"Akemi!" Riku shushed her. "Okay, okay, so I done messed up."

"He cut her flower bush," the boy, Hoshi said.

Sora crossed his arms. "And?"

"No, I swear, that's it! So, being the perfectly great husband that I am, I decided that I would help her with some yard work. The azalea bushes were uneven, and it was driving me nuts, so I thought they just needed some light trimming."

"Oh…" Kairi cringed, recalling her grandmother having some of her own. "Yeah, you don't do that."

"News flash! Amaya went berserk! She said something about how I ruined everything, and that next year she wouldn't have any pretty azaleas, and then proceeded to kick me out of my own house. It just so happened to be your birthday, Sora, so I thought—why not? Let's take the kids on a mini vacation! I'm sure she didn't mind. She's been wanting some time to herself, anyway."

"Not even _the dirty_ could save Dad from this one!" Hoshi interjected. Sora's eyebrow raised, and Kairi could hardly stifle her laughter.

"Hey, what did I tell you about repeating mom and dad's words?" Riku let out an exasperated sigh. "But anyway, it all works out because I get to visit my best bud on his big 3-0!" He leaned to the side. "And his lady friend, of course."

"How thoughtful," Sora said, reaching into the bag. The kids surrounded either side of him, eagerly waiting for him to open the present.

"There are two presents in there! One is from me and Akemi, and the other from mom and dad!" Hoshi said, watching Sora unwrap their gift. He pulled out a pair of socks with little cat and dog designs.

"Do you like them? We picked them out ourselves!" Akemi said.

"I'm totally wearing these," Sora said just to please them. Riku rolled his eyes but laughed.

"You have to send pictures on Snapchat!" Akemi added.

"Well, thank you both. I love them." Sora found the present from Riku and Amaya, just a gift card to one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. Noticing the brief silence, Sora spoke up. "Oh, Riku, you remember Kairi, right? She went to high school with us."

Riku examined her for a moment. "Can't say I do, sorry. I have heard about you, though. I think Sora may have a thing for you." He smirked.

"You think so?" Kairi chuckled when Sora's face reddened.

"Wow, thanks," Sora said sarcastically.

"Is she your wife?" Akemi asked. Sora laughed and picked up the five-year old.

"She's just a _really_ good friend of mine."

Although he was explaining this to a child, Kairi couldn't help but feel a little sad upon hearing that. _'Friend…'_ she repeated in her mind, but then shook the silly thought away.

"But mama says when a boy and girl live together that means—"

"Hey!" Sora interrupted, desperate to change the subject, "You kids want to see something cool?"

"Yeah!" they exclaimed. Sora carried Akemi down the hall, and Hoshi followed. The snake was curled up in his cage. "This is Bobo."

"Cool!" Hoshi ran over to it.

"Okay, don't stick your fingers in the cage," Riku said. Sora put Akemi down and she joined her brother in awe. Kairi watched from the doorway. She still couldn't bring herself to be near the ball python.

"Don't worry, this is a nice snake," Sora said, reaching into the cage to pull him out. The kids jumped up and down, begging to hold it. "You can hold him next time. He's a little sleepy." He let them pet him one at a time.

Kairi had to admit, Sora was adorable around kids.

"Aww, but who knows when next time is?!" Hoshi complained.

"Knowing Riku, it won't be too long," Sora joked.

"Oh, so that's how it is," Riku sneered.

Sora gently set Bobo back into the cage and locked it. "Now, then, first to wash their hands gets, uh—" Sora didn't have to finish his sentence for the kids to dart into the kitchen. Akemi whined because she couldn't reach the sink, and her older brother was already drying his hands.

"Great, now you're making empty promises with my children," Riku said. "You know they'll hold you to it." They returned to the living room. Sora lifted Akemi so that she could wash her hands, and then washed his own. Akemi and Hoshi ran over to the tall windows, amazed at the sight of the ocean.

Riku turned to Sora. "So, there's a big, family friendly art and music festival going on at Newport Beach. Hope you didn't have any plans, because I'm not asking."

Sora scoffed. "Oh, and what if we did?"

"It's a date then. Let's meet for lunch in, say, an hour? Is that enough time?" Riku gave him a suggestive look. Sora rolled his eyes.

"Sure, it sounds fun," Kairi agreed. "But only if the _birthday boy_ wants to."

"I'm sorry, it slipped my mind," Sora said. Kairi didn't believe him.

"Why do we have to wait an hour?" Akemi whined. "I'm so hungry!"

"Quiet, or no chicken nuggets," Riku mumbled.

"You can't starve us!" Hoshi yelled. "I'll tell mommy!"

"Yeah? How are you going to do that?" Riku said, but then saw his phone in the child's hands. "What? How did you get that?"

"Uncle Sora took it when you weren't looking!"

"That's what you get for showing up unannounced," Sora said, blocking Riku temporarily from his son. Thankfully, he was able to snatch his phone back before the wife was involved.

"Two can play this game," Riku huffed. "Meet you at the Frollo Café at three. Don't be late."

"Yes sir!" Sora saluted.

A few hours later, Sora, Kairi and Riku walked around the festival. Akemi clung to Sora, and Hoshi was starting to trust Kairi. They played a few games of darts, checked out various local bands promoting their music, and waited for the kids to get their faces painted. Sora held onto Kairi's hand most of the time, and she wasn't complaining. She kept her eye out for a birthday gift, despite his refusal to accept the occasion.

Seeing Sora interact with his best friend and the kids was refreshing, Kairi thought. All the stress he talked about lately melted away with them, and he really seemed to enjoy himself.

"How long are you here for, Riku?" Sora asked.

"We're leaving in the morning. The kids have school on Monday. I think two days without seeing my wife is enough time for her to forgive me, right?"

"The way you make her sound, I think you'll need to do way more than just beg for forgiveness," Kairi said.

"Yeah, azaleas are mommy's favorite," Hoshi added.

"Okay, I didn't come here to talk about my marriage, thanks."

"But you just said—" Sora was interrupted.

"A ball pit!" Hoshi yelled, "Dad! Can we? Please?"

"And swim around in all those disgusting germs?" Riku paused. "Go for it."

"Amaya's going to hate you," Sora pointed out.

"She already does."

The trio sat at a table next to the ball pit and kept their eye on the kids. "Love those two, even if they're assholes." Riku said.

"Wonder who they got it from," Sora quipped.

"Clearly their mother," Riku replied. "So, Kairi, I have to ask—what sort of pick up line did Sora reel you in with?"

"He said my jeans were nice, then asked if he could get in them."

Sora's jaw dropped, and Riku busted out laughing. "Man, she didn't even stutter!"

"And yet you're still here for some reason..." Sora grumbled. "Riku, you really think I have game?"

"Could have fooled me. Don't think I'm going to let you forget your little _wingman_ theory."

"Oh no…" Kairi said, dreading the answer, but her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Okay, don't even go there. Kairi, I was young, stupid…"

Riku sat tall and cleared his throat. "Okay, you've gotta hear this. So… In the first year of university, Sora thought my looks were far superior to his own." Kairi nodded in agreement, causing Sora to pout. "I was taken by Amaya, of course. We were in the first few months of our relationship. Sora, however, wasn't having much luck in the dating department."

"Do we _have_ to talk about this?" Sora complained.

"You have a lot of embarrassing stories," Kairi said, patting his back.

"Anyway, there was a club we frequented—" Riku paused, "before I continue, you're not one of those girls that holds someone's past against them, right?"

"We're all entitled to a past, so no."

"Okay, good. So, there was this girl—a waitress, and Sora had his eye on her. She was a lot less attractive than you. Sora wanted to talk to her about something other than drinks or the weather, and he thought that if he brought me, his very much taken best friend who just happens to have that Michael Bolton vibe—"

"Whoa, did you just compare yourself to Michael Bolton? You're insane," Sora scoffed.

"I'm just a sexy guy. That's all I can say. Hence why you thought it would be a good icebreaker to bring me, a _wingman_ , along. So, one busy Saturday night, we entered the bar and made sure to sit in her section. Not the best night to try and flirt with her, I know, but it was the only time we could, I guess. Now, mind you, we were on the brink of twenty-two years old, our young minds fresh with hope for the future."

"Good times," Kairi agreed.

"Right? So, the reason I brought this up was because I remember Sora completely ruining any sort of chance he had with this woman with none other than a pick up line."

"No, no, no… come on, Riku, spare her the details! Also, I was drunk!"

"I really want to know now," Kairi said, shushing Sora.

"She came to get our drink orders for the fourth time that night, and Sora actually grabbed her by the arm. I mean, straight up sexual harassment. Then said, _I'm Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me?"_

"Wow, Sora, real smooth."

"Oh, but that's not all," Riku continued. "She kindly refused his advances, but due to his intoxicated state, he kept going. _I'll make you shiver when I deliver._ "

Sora groaned.

 _"If a fat man kidnaps you, don't worry, I told Santa I wanted you for Christmas."_

Kairi could barely breathe. "Oh, my God. Sora, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Yeah, well, Riku was quite the player back then," Sora argued, but he knew he wasn't going to win this one.

"I don't deny it. Amaya whipped me into shape."  
"I'm going to kill you. Wait, why are we always talking about me?" He turned to Kairi. "How about you? Don't you have any weird or embarrassing incidents with a guy?"

"Ohh, do tell," Riku said.

Kairi didn't feel too comfortable talking about her personal life in front of Riku, but she guessed it was only fair. "I don't know, um…" She didn't date much in the past, so she couldn't say she had her share of crazy stories. One did come to mind, however.

"Well, a few years ago, Namine tried to set me up on a blind date. She was worried about me, since I'd barely socialized with anyone other than her and Roxas, let alone the opposite sex in a few months. After much begging, I finally accepted to meet this random guy at a restaurant. I was super nervous, so not knowing what to expect, I dressed down for the date—as in, pink hoodie and jeans. I didn't want him getting any ideas. When I got there, I found him in the back corner. He wasn't the best looking guy, but he wasn't bad, either. I didn't care too much about that. What threw me off, though, was one, the fedora, and two, the way he acted around me."

"Did he say _milady?"_ Riku asked, a little nervous to learn the answer.

"In fact, he did. That's what I was afraid of when I saw the hat. So, he pulled out my chair for me, and was a complete gentleman. We made small talk; he told me he owned his own sword-making business and it was really popular online. He raved about guilds and how he always played World of Warcraft with the guys. Pretty normal things, right?"

"Sure?" Sora replied.

"But when it was my turn to talk, he never let me. He always cut me off and talked more about himself. It became uncomfortable—fast. He joked several times about how women never gave him the time of day, but yet he was such a nice guy. That was an immediate turn off for me. Not to mention a few other questionable things, like how he thought women shouldn't work… I started trying to come up with an exit strategy and had a few choice words for Namine later."

"So how did you get out of there?" Sora asked.

"Namine and I had a code word when we needed help getting out of an uncomfortable or dangerous situation, so I quickly texted that to her. He saw me on the phone, and immediately realized what I was trying to do. He went on a tangent about how much of a whore I was, and that because I was a woman, I was stupid and I belonged in the kitchen or something."

"Jesus Christ," Riku said. "You dodged a bullet."

"I dodged a nuke," Kairi corrected. "Once he said that, I just left. I took alternate routes home, just in case he followed me. It really scared me."

"I can imagine," Sora said. "Wow."

"It's okay, though. If he tried anything, I would have beat him to the ground."

"Hell yeah!" Riku cheered.

They spent another hour or so just talking about different things before the kids finally had enough. They complained nonstop when Riku told them it was close to their bedtime, and he had to force them to leave. Sora promised Hoshi and Akemi he would call more often, and that eased their minds a little. He took Kairi's hand in his and walked down the street. The bus station wasn't too far away.

"It's been a fun day," she said. "Those kids are so cute."

"Yeah, it's nice when they're not yours. You get to send them back to where they belong."

Kairi sighed. "Well, happy birthday, mister thirty-year old."

Sora shook his head in amusement. "Thank you. When is yours, by the way?"

"January 2nd, but I was born the year after you, of course."

"Barely." Sora smiled at her, unable to take his eyes away.

"What?" she asked, her cheeks warming up. Sora stopped, then pulled her in for a kiss.

"Sorry, I just wanted to do that."

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked.

Thirty minutes later, they made it back to his apartment. Rain droplets tapped the windows, and the wind was picking up.

"They're calling for a major storm, I think," Sora mentioned, then pulled out his phone to check. "Yeah, there's a category three a little ways to the east of us, but we'll still be impacted."

"Oh, great, I hate storms…" Kairi watched anxiously out the window.

"Aww, well, don't worry. I'll be right here." Sora wrapped his arms around her. The rain started pounding against the windows. Kairi hid her face in his chest, dreading what was to come. However, at least she had Sora with her.

What did he want from her at this point? She was so tempted to ask, but the words just wouldn't come to her. They moved to the couch, where she gladly snuggled up to him.

"Thanks for hanging out with me all the time. Seriously, you and Riku are the only people I can just sit and relax with. With all the stress I've had lately…" he drifted off.

"You have been a little off for the last few days. Is something bothering you?" she asked.

Not wanting to go into detail, Sora just shrugged and stared at the floor. Ever since Xion reentered his life a few days before, his stress level shot through the roof. It brought up so many mixed emotions, most of which he thought were long laid to rest. He hated himself for projecting those feelings onto Kairi. Comparing Xion to Kairi was like night and day. She was nothing like her.

He figured that only made it harder.

"Sora, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing his gloomy expression.

"Nothing, I'm alright."

His dejected tone said otherwise. Kairi laced her fingers with his, her heart thumping. "You can always talk to me, too, you know."

"I know, but honestly, you really brighten my day. It's hard to be sad when you're around."

"Are you sad, though?"

She felt a little bad for prying, but she just wanted to help.

"Let's just say I'm a lot happier than I used to be. For the longest time, I buried myself in work to avoid my own problems. It got so bad that I would even spend the night in my office just so I didn't have to go back to an empty apartment…" He then realized he said too much. It pained him to even think about, let alone tell her.

"Have you always lived by yourself?" She was entering a dangerous territory, she assumed.

"Um, that's…" Sora tensed, avoiding eye contact. Xion flashed in his mind. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Kairi wouldn't judge him for his past mistakes, right? "Okay, I did live with an ex-girlfriend of mine. Back when I lived downtown."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Kairi gave him a warm smile. As much as she wanted to know, she didn't want to push him. She'd done so enough already. The waves moved rapidly in the ocean. Kairi tried her best to ignore the weather. Sora was eerily quiet at this point, and it was really starting to worry her. Maybe she shouldn't have asked.

"Kairi, I'm a mess," he said finally. "I don't think you would want to be with someone like me."

"That's so far from the truth. Whatever is on your mind, Sora, you can tell me. I'm here to listen." Roaring thunder made her shriek and bury her face in his chest. "As long as we don't die in this storm…"

He held onto her, constructing the words in his mind. "We won't. I'll protect you."

Kairi blushed profusely, biting her bottom lip. "Sora?"

"Hm?"

"I really like you, if that wasn't obvious or anything…" His grip loosened a little. "And I don't care if you think you're a mess. I want to be with you anyway."

For the first time, Sora didn't know how to respond. Although he knew her feelings, hearing her say it was different somehow.

Although he was quiet, Kairi continued. It was now or never. She was tired of beating around the bush. "Can we make this official?"

Sora took his time to respond. He knew this would come up sooner or later. As much as he wanted to just say yes, something held him back. Relationships were a completely different territory for him. But why? Why did it matter? He clearly liked Kairi way more than he ever imagined…

The silence was killing her. What was he thinking? Did she just ruin everything?

"I'm sorry, just forget I said it…" Kairi tried to pull away from him, but he stopped her.

"Hold on, Kairi. I'm just thinking. Trust me, my reluctance has nothing to do with you." He let out a deep sigh but continued to hold onto her. "Can I be honest?"

Those were scary words, but she nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't want to hear it, otherwise."

"Okay, um… I really like you too. A lot. Truthfully, though, I'm worried. I don't want this whole thing with us to just end. I care about you too much. My last relationship was horrible, and ever since, I've been avoiding the dating scene. Riku may joke about it, but… I just would rather forget it all. Until I met you, I felt like relationships were pointless. In the end, someone just ends up getting hurt."

Although he was confessing, it still felt like a rejection. However, Kairi wanted to remain positive. She didn't think he meant to push her away.

"That's always a possibility, but I don't believe that anymore. Sora, all I know is that I want to be with you. You're kind, you make me laugh, and you wear your heart on your sleeve. You're the most honest person I've ever met, and I feel like I can tell you anything. You make me happier than I've felt in a long time. I hope I do the same for you, even just a little."

Sora couldn't help but grin in an apologetic manner. "You have no idea. I'm sorry for being like this. Despite my profession, I'm not good at making big decisions."

"You're so confusing sometimes, but I like you anyway," Kairi teased.

"I'm a walking contradiction. Think you can handle it?"

"I think so."

He leaned his head against hers for a little bit. Kairi still wasn't sure what his answer was, but she kept her mouth shut. Sora lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, you just look _really_ good right now."

Clad in a T-shirt and athletic shorts, Kairi begged to differ. However, before she had time to react, he pushed her onto her back and climbed on top of her, huskily meshing his lips with hers. She didn't expect this sudden display of affection—of desire, but he had a frustrating way of drawing her in, testing her patience as well as her own standards. She allowed his fingers to slip underneath her shirt, teasing the rim of her bra before gripping her by the hip and forcing his tongue into her mouth. She squirmed beneath him, trying to catch her breath between the hot kisses and tongue twisting.

However, this time she wanted control. She was tired of allowing him to completely take over her at any given moment. She wanted that same power; to make him weak just like he'd done to her so many times.

Sora didn't _always_ have to do all the work…

"Bed, now," Kairi demanded, and Sora lifted her from the couch. They exchanged passionate kisses along the way; Sora bumping into the wall several times as he tried to maintain his balance. He threw Kairi onto the bed and grabbed a condom from his nightstand drawer.

"I want you, Sora…" Kairi whispered softly into his ear, then pushed him down. His back hit the mattress; his eyes filled with a mix of eagerness and curiosity as she mounted him. Kairi threw her shirt to the side and allowed him to unsnap her bra. Her name escaped his lips as she kissed a trail all the way down his bare chest, teasing him with one hand in the process and driving him wild. He grabbed her by the hair, smashing his lips against hers once more, all while Kairi continued to torture him with pleasure.

"That feels… great…" he managed, finally giving in and letting her finish him off.

When they were done, Kairi lay on top of him and rested. Sora was still trying to catch his breath as he gently massaged her back. He had no idea how much time went by, but it felt like they'd been at it for a while.

"Kairi?"

"Yeah, Sora?"

"That was freaking hot."

She didn't feel so bad not knowing it was his birthday anymore. Surely, it was one he would never forget, right?

But _oh no,_ he wasn't going to get off that easily. One question still lingered in her mind, and she was not going to sleep until she got an answer.

"So, does this mean you're my boyfriend now? You never answered my question."

Sora, with a huge grin plastered across his face, responded, "Yes, Kairi, that's exactly what it means."

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

 _3/5/2019_

 **A/N:** Phew! What a chapter! I felt like there was a little mix of everything in this. Kairi's encounter with a neckbeard/niceguy, Riku is obviously whipped, etc. Borderline M rated, I know, but I just couldn't do it in the end. Hah!

!Important!  
 **Amaya, Akemi** and **Hoshi** belong to the lovely **BlissfulNightRain.** Thanks again for letting me use your wonderful OC's!

In the next several chapters, things are about to go down. No, I did not forget about the fic description, lol. More drama with Sora's family, Xion, and of course the inevitable pregnancy!

More awesome authors and stories:

 **Painted With a Palette** – this chick is awesome. She has such a nice writing style, and if you're into super long and descriptive chapters with relatable characters, she's got you covered! Most recent work is a story called "Memories of You."

 **NoctIsFishing** – A Digimon fanfic writer, but currently love her story, "Colors in Autumn." Check it out!

Drop a review! I love reading your responses!  
Have a nice day!


	8. eight

**Eight.**

o-o-o-o

It was her first day of school.

Kairi stayed over at her mother's house the night before. She stopped by after work, then was so tired that she ended up passing out in her old bed. She hauled herself down the stairs, catching herself in a string of yawns all the way to the kitchen. She saw her mom and grandmother sitting on the porch outside, enjoying a cup of tea.

Kairi slid the glass door open. "Good morning."

"Morning, dear," Grandma Kay said. Kairi pulled up a chair beside them. "Have some tea."

"You awake?" Ms. Hikari asked, watching Kairi yawn for the millionth time. "You slept for nearly fourteen hours. Do you do that often?"

"Actually, no," Kairi replied, pouring some tea for herself. She'd been feeling a little strange the last few days, like something was off that she just couldn't pinpoint. She'd never slept that much in her life, even if she was sick.

"Well, are you excited?" her grandmother asked.

"Of course," she replied. It felt unreal, almost, that in just one more hour she would be walking into a classroom for the first time in years. It was a bit overwhelming, to say the least. Kairi didn't know what to expect.

She just wished she wasn't so incredibly tired. It was unlike her. _Get it together!_ She thought.

"Do you have everything you need? Books? Pens? Laptop?" Ms. Hikari asked.

"Yes, mom."

A _good morning_ text came in from Sora, and Kairi promptly replied.

"Is that him?" Grandma Kay asked.

"Yeah, he just got to work."

"Tell him Grandma Kay says hello."

Kairi nodded and sent him the message.

"I'm really happy for you, Kairi. You need to bring him over sometime," Ms. Hikari added.

"Yeah, I will."

"From what you and your grandmother tell me, he seems to really care for you. Not to mention, he has a stable income, and isn't bad looking either."

"Mom!" Kairi winced.

"You're not getting any younger, dear," Ms. Hikari joked.

"Someone like that is a rare find. He's basically the opposite your father," Grandma Kay blurted out, but then gasped. The atmosphere went grim. To bring up the man that literally abandoned her before she was even born? She couldn't help but feel a sense of loathing in that very moment.

Nearly speechless, her mother tried to clear the air. "I'm so sorry, Kairi. S-she didn't mean to say that. She's just happy that you seem to have a good man in your life. Sometimes your grandmother forgets that you don't know about all that."

"I'm sorry, honey," Grandma Kay added, her eyes pure with sympathy.

"It's okay, Sora _is_ great…" Kairi began but trailed off. She never asked about her father, and although it was always tucked in the back of her mind, she was afraid. Growing up, she didn't want to know the truth; she'd lived blissfully for so many years.

But now that her grandmother mentioned it, she had a dire curiosity that she just couldn't seem to ignore. Maybe her emotions were out of whack, she wasn't sure.

So, she asked.

"What was my father like?"

Grandma Kay sighed. "Kairi, dear, I'm sorry for bringing it up. We really don't have to talk about this."

"N-no, I want to know. I guess… he must have had a good reason, right?" Kairi swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Are you sure?" Ms. Hikari reiterated. Kairi simply nodded. She gave her an uneasy look, then sighed. "Okay, Kairi, the thing with your father is, he didn't have a good reason. He just didn't want the responsibility."

She figured as much.

"I want you to understand, dear, that although you should always consider all the layers of a situation, unfortunately, in your father's case, that was all there was to it," Grandma Kay added. "You couldn't reason with him at that point. His mind was made up. Be it fear, finances, it didn't matter. He did not want to be tied down."

Her mother quickly responded. "But I don't want you to ever feel like it's your fault."

She couldn't help it, though. To be unwanted before she was even born? Before she even had a chance? Even though she'd always assumed that were the case, just confirming that her so-called father wanted nothing to do with her only solidified the pain deep inside.

"When was the last time you saw him?" she managed to say.

"When you were thirteen," Ms. Hikari replied. Kairi looked up at her, waiting for an explanation. "It was seriously a coincidence. Your father always wanted to be a musician. One of my coworkers at the time was having a birthday celebration at a local bar, and I was invited. He was in one of the bands showcasing that night. They weren't that good, honestly, and he never saw me. I was so upset that I went home."

"You… saw him? Where is he now?" Kairi dared to asked, but her mother shrugged.

"I have no idea."

"When you think about it, Kairi," Grandma Kay began, "your mother saved you a lot of heartbreak. Despite whatever you went through growing up, whatever inadequacy you felt, I believe that if your biological father was involved in any way, it would have been so much worse. I remember him well, and that's why I was so happy when you introduced me to Sora. It was such a relief. I couldn't get through to your mother during that time, because he was not good for her. I guess it was a blessing in disguise, since we have you now."

"I don't hold anything against either of you," Kairi said. "Really. I guess it affected me the most when I would see other families with a mother and a father, and I would always wonder why. Now that you've confirmed what I've felt for a very long time, it makes me feel better. Like a weight off my shoulders, so to speak. Of course, I'm still sad that he chose a life without me, but like you said, maybe it was for the best."

She really wanted to believe that.

"Your grandmother is right. Nothing good would have come of it. Your father was irresponsible. When I got pregnant with you, we'd only been together for a little over a year. He was cheating with multiple women, always claiming that he was out with friends or had a gig in another town. I kept forgiving him, straining my family relationships, friendships… it was tough. We fought all the time. I'm sorry that you're only hearing the negative side of things, but the bad outweighed the good in this case."

"It sounds like it," Kairi said wearily.

"Are you okay, dear?" Grandma Kay asked.

"Hm? Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's just a lot to take in." She sniffled, wiping her watery eyes. "I've always felt like I wasn't good enough, I guess."

"I know, but look at where you are now," her mother said. "You're about to go to school for something you love to do, you have a nice boyfriend, and great friends. You refuse to move back home, much to Grandma Kay's dismay, and you know why? Because you want to make something of yourself. You don't want to depend on others."

It was nice hearing this from her mother.

"Kairi, you've always done things on your own ever since you were a child. But that's okay. I'm so proud of you," Grandma Kay said.

"Stop, you're making me cry."

"We're both proud," Ms. Hikari added. "Now, wipe those tears. Even though your father was never in the picture, that doesn't matter. You turned out just fine."

"That's right," Grandma Kay agreed.

These were not the emotions she needed right now. She had to be in class in less than an hour. Still, knowing the full backstory after so many years gave her relief. It wasn't her fault. She wasn't any less of a person, and she had to remember that.

Her mother stood up. "Are you hungry? I'm making omelets for breakfast." Normally, Kairi would be excited for food, but not today.

"As much as I would love to stay, I need to get going or I'll be late for school." Kairi sighed.

"I know you'll do great, Kai-bear," Grandma Kay said. Kairi gave her a look of uncertainty, but she waved her off. "If there is one thing I noticed about the women in this family, it's that we don't give up."

"That's right," Ms. Hikari said. "We're too stubborn for our own good. When things get tough, just remember the ultimate goal. Remember what brought you there in the first place."

"Thank you."

"Come on, let us take you to school," Grandma Kay offered, and Kairi gladly accepted.

o-o-o-o

" _Three months probation. Dismissed."_

Sora gathered his things and neatly piled them back into his briefcase. He felt particularly good about this verdict, and so did his client. As the officers escorted the inmate from the room, the client's mother came up to him.

"Sora, I cannot thank you enough for all of your help."

He flashed a smile. "You're welcome. Three months of probation and a scratch on his record is way better than the alternative. Hopefully, he will learn his lesson."

Overjoyed, she graciously shook his hand. "I hope so too. You have no idea what this means to him and our family."

Not a bad start to the afternoon, Sora supposed. This case was just a petty drug charge, but Sora knew that kid had more potential. He was upfront with him the whole time, and Sora felt like he was a bit misguided. He left the courtroom, meeting up with his father outside. Mr. Yamada was talking with a few other spectators.

"There's the man of the hour," one of them beamed. "Nice job, Sora."

"Thanks," Sora said. The other men waved and walked off, leaving Sora with his father.

"Like he said, good job, son."

Sora couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, but he thanked him anyway. The two walked in silence, catching a cab just outside of the courthouse. Mr. Yamada flipped through some papers on the way back to the office while Sora just stared out the window.

"Ned, take us to the Spiral café instead," Mr. Yamada told the driver. Sora looked over out of curiosity but didn't question it. "You hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Once they had their orders, Sora and his father chose a seat in the lounge. This café was a little more upscale than the rest; not a place he frequented. Sora remained quiet; his dad didn't usually do things like this. He thought the trial went well, but not _that_ well.

"I thought we could use a break," Mr. Yamada said.

Sora didn't know what to say. The entire situation was strange to him. "Sure."

"So, what's going on in your life?"

Was he really trying to make small talk? It was very uncharacteristic and only made Sora suspect him more.

"Not much."

"Well, your mother won't stop asking about you, and I never have any answers for her. You should just go and see her."

"I will."

With a huge sigh, Mr. Yamada set his coffee onto the table. "Alright, I do have a reason for bringing you here, other than to relax."

"I thought so."

"I'm going to be retiring in the next few years. Your mother and I plan to sell the house and move to one of the other islands."

"What?" Sora asked, astonished. He figured his dad would drop dead in the lobby of the office. He was only in his early sixties.

"Yes, but there is something I need to know now." Mr. Yamada looked Sora straight in the eye. "What are _your_ future plans? Do you really want to take over the law firm?"

Straight to the point; that's what Sora was accustomed to hearing. Although his answer seemed completely up to him, he knew exactly what he was doing. "Did you already have someone in mind?"

"No hidden agendas, just giving you the benefit of the doubt here. I started this firm when you were a boy, with the notion I would end up finding a successor, but once you told me you wanted to be an attorney, the idea arose. Despite your flaws, you have the passion for it. You're capable. We wouldn't be having this conversation, otherwise."

A little irked, Sora turned his head. Now he believed in him? It never seemed that way before. What changed?

"I'll see how I feel in a few years. That's the best way to put it."

Mr. Yamada shook his head in disappointment. "If you don't have the desire now, you never will."

Sora knew this wouldn't amount to anything. He could either sit here and argue his way out, or he could leave. The latter sounded better. He stood and pushed his chair in. "Thanks for lunch. I'll get my own cab back."

"Sora," Mr. Yamada called to him, but he kept walking.

Instead of catching a cab, Sora decided to walk the entire ten blocks back to the office. On the way, he called Kairi, hoping she would pick up. He missed her, and hearing her voice seemed to be the only thing that could calm him down right now.

"Hello!" she answered cheerfully, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, you busy?"

"Uhh, a little, but I can spare a few moments for my super cute boyfriend. I have another class soon."

"Oh, am I the one on standby now?"

Kairi giggled. "Yeah, it may get a little tougher to see each other."

"Hmm," he paused, "unless you lived with me."

Kairi laughed. "Nice one. I haven't even been your girlfriend for a month, and you're already asking? I could never afford that place."

"I didn't say you would have to pay rent."

"Now, Sora, you know that's not fair."

"Sometimes, I don't play fair."

"Says the big shot lawyer."

Sora crossed the street. "I don't know, something about coming home to you just feels nice."

"Stop it, you're making me blush."

"I'm sorry, too much? You're over so often, that I'm starting to get used to it."

"Ah, so that's your excuse."

Sora decided to change the subject. "So, how's school going? You liking it?" he asked, all too eager to hear about it.

Kairi yawned before responding. "It's great. I've only been to one class so far, but I really liked my professor. It was just an introductory course, so a lot of the basics I already knew on my own. But I still think I'm going to learn a lot. Oh, and I have homework already, which I plan to work on between classes."

"Cool. I bet this could help your channel a lot, not that you don't naturally have followers already."

"If there's room to improve, I'm all for it. How has your day been?"

Sora decided to spare her the details. "You know, just another day. I'm walking back to the office now and I just wanted to hear your voice. I missed you."

Her giggles were so cute.

"I missed you too. I was just thinking about you, actually. Are you a mind reader?"

"That might be it," he jested.

Sora was still getting used to having a girlfriend again. It was a strange feeling, no doubt, but he just went with the flow.

"I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a date later?" Sora asked. "There's this really good seafood restaurant downtown. We can celebrate your first day of classes."

"Hmm, only if I'm done with my homework."

Sora laughed. "Oh, right. Of course. Well, it's an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, if that is motivation enough."

"That _does_ sound good. I will try my best! Anyway, babe, I've gotta go. Class starts in ten minutes, and I am in desperate need of some coffee. Hope the rest of your day is awesome!"

"Same to you. Talk to you later."

Sora sighed as he put his phone away. He still had several blocks to go, and seriously considered skipping for the rest of the day. After a few moments, he begrudgingly forced himself to head back to work.

At least he felt a little better.

o-o-o-o

That night, Kairi met with Sora downtown. He kissed her upon arrival, and then took her hand.

"I'm starving," she said as they entered the restaurant. Kairi had never been to such a fancy place before. The décor was simple yet elegant, with stone-like walls and a shiny, white tiled floor. Colorful seashells dangled on strings from the ceiling, and soft, classical music played in the background. Each of the workers smiled at them as they followed the host to their table. They were seated in a comfortable private booth, separate from most of the other patrons. The table was dimly lit with a blue light in the center, making for a very romantic atmosphere.

"I seriously feel underdressed for this," Kairi said, reluctant to remove her jacket. He'd taken her on a few dates before, but never anywhere like this.

"You look gorgeous, don't worry about it."

Kairi pouted. A waiter brought them a bottle of wine, one she'd never seen before. "Did you order that?"

"One bottle is complimentary when you sit in this section, but you have to pay for any extra," Sora said.

"Wow," she said, watching in awe as the waiter poured them each a glass. The aroma of the wine got to her a little, which she thought was strange, but ignored.

When they reached the buffet, Kairi could not believe her eyes. Her days of eating canned tuna and frozen salmon were put to shame as she marveled the sight before her. Everything looked fresh, and even the shrimp was as big as her hand! There was a lobster 'station' where flames torched high as the chefs prepared the food right in front of them. There were countless premade salads of all kinds, individual fruit bowls, and _shelves_ of sushi.

"Sora, how much is it per person?" she mused, knowing he wouldn't tell her.

"That is none of your concern. Try the sashimi. It's amazing," Sora said, piling his plate with a few snow crab legs and oysters.

Five minutes later, Kairi's plate was full. She joined Sora back at the table, still pondering how she was going to eat it all. Sora cracked open the crab legs, neatly stacking them on a separate plate.

"This is my favorite place, but I hope you like it too," he mentioned, dabbing the crab in a little butter.

Kairi could hardly contain her excitement as she sliced effortlessly into the salmon. It wasn't rubbery like she was used to. She took a moment to savor the exquisite taste, one she'd never experienced in her life. "This is so good! Can we come here every day?"

"Unfortunately, I'm not _that_ rich."

"I'm just kidding." Kairi wiped her mouth with a napkin, and then reached for the wine. As it got closer to her face, she cringed and set it back down.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. For some reason, the wine makes me want to gag."

"Oh, you don't have to drink it."

"I don't think I can. The smell is so strong, even from here."

Sora thought for a moment, then called the waiter over. "We're good on the wine." He took it from the table.

"Sora, you didn't have to do that," Kairi said apologetically, but she did feel a little better.

He shook his head. "It's fine, I wasn't going to drink much of it anyway."

"Well, thank you."

"So? Tell me about the rest of your day. How many classes did you have today?"

"Three. I have an hour between each class, which gave me plenty of time to finish my assignments."

"Any new friends?"

"Not really, but I was paired with this older couple named Aqua and Terra for a week-long project. They're about six years older than me. They thought I was eighteen."

"You could pass for eighteen," Sora said.

"Thanks, although I don't know if I should be flattered or creeped out."

Sora gave a humorless chuckle. "You know what I mean. Man, I bet you felt so out of place. I would never go back to school."

"I did at first, but then realized that it didn't matter. I'm not there for anyone but me, right?"

"True."

"I uploaded an update video to my channel. You have no idea how nice it was to use a laptop that didn't crash on me every time I tried to edit. I was so happy…"

"I'm glad. It sounds like this was a step in the right direction."

Kairi nodded and continued eating. She was stuffed, but everything still looked so good. "Hey, Sora? Have you ever felt like for once in your life, things were going right? That's how I feel right now."

"I suppose I've had better days lately, all thanks to you," he replied.

"It can't be just because of me."

"Why not?"

When Kairi saw that he was serious, she said, "I don't know, I just think that someone's happiness shouldn't depend solely on another person."

She was right, he thought, yet he couldn't come up with anything else. "Sorry, not much changes in my life. I try to keep a positive outlook, but I can't always do so. When I win a case, yeah, it feels nice, but it doesn't…" Sora contemplated the right words.

"Fulfill you?"

"Hm?"

"Even though you're helping so many people, in the end it's not what truly makes you happy."

Sora never thought about it that way. He figured if he focused on everyone else's problems, and helped them to the best of his ability, then that would be enough. Still, he wasn't sure why he felt so empty at the end of the day.

Having Kairi by his side, on the other hand, was amazing to him.

"I don't know why." He shrugged. "I thought being a lawyer would be so challenging, and it can be, but nowadays it feels like nothing but busy work. Like a chore that must be done. Of course, there are still times where I truly feel great about it and I'm proud of myself, but those days are few and far in between."

"What made you decide to be a lawyer, anyway?"

"That's a little more personal… but…"

"We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to."

"No, it's not that. When I was growing up, I saw so many people being treated unfairly. But there was one person that really tipped the scales, and that was my mother."

Kairi waited for him to continue.

"She had a rough childhood, one you couldn't even imagine. Basically, her stepfather was pure evil. From the time she was a teenager, up into young adulthood, he did things to her that…" Sora's fists clenched, and he couldn't finish his sentence. "I had no earthly idea that such a thing happened. My parents met in their early twenties. My father was an inexperienced lawyer at the time, and she'd told him that this man had never been prosecuted. That he was still walking the streets…

"He stepped in as my mother's lawyer and was able to make a solid case against this man for things he'd done to her when she was a teenager. Her stepfather got fifteen years, but ended up dying in prison."

"Wow."

"They didn't tell me about that until I was fifteen. My dad had his law firm already, and back then I really admired him. He brought justice for my mother, someone that carried such a heavy burden for so long. I thought I could do the same for others, so I graduated law school ten years later. Unfortunately, working with my dad was an entirely different story."

"Your mother has been through a lot. That's tough."

"Yeah, she has. She's better now, though. If you met her, you'd never know."

Kairi watched him for a moment. "I understand what it is now."

"Huh?"

"You've just lost that spark; that drive that you had in the first place. Call it being burned out or whatever, but I think that's all it is. I'm sure this was what you were meant to do."

The waiter set the bill on the edge of the table. Sora hesitated before picking it up. "You're probably right. I guess I could try harder."

"I don't think that's the case, either. You just need to focus more on what truly matters."

Sora smirked. "Thanks, I'll try."

Kairi nodded, setting her water on the table and suppressing a yawn. She'd been feeling okay for the last few hours, but now the fatigue was taking over once again.

Something was definitely off.

She considered telling him about the conversation she had with her mother and grandmother that morning but figured she could explain it later. Right now, all she could think about was a nice, warm bed.

"Oh, man, I feel like I could pass out right now, which sucks because I really am enjoying myself and I am so thankful that you brought me here."

"I'm a little tired myself. Wanna head back to my place? You can just spend the night."

Was Kairi ever even at her apartment anymore? After Sora paid for dinner, they left.

Thirty minutes later, Kairi dragged her feet to his apartment door. Her entire body felt weak, and like she could just fall asleep any second. She held onto Sora's arm for support as they entered the dark apartment. 

"We can just go to bed, I don't mind," Sora said as he set his keys on the kitchen table. Without a word, Kairi stumbled straight to his room, fell onto his bed and closed her eyes. Laying on her chest wasn't too comfortable for some reason, so she turned onto her back.

"Goodnight," she mumbled, too worn out to move. She chalked it up to it just being a super long day.

"Come on, babe, you can't sleep in your clothes." Kairi mumbled an incoherent response. Sora crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Sora…"

"Yes?"

"Thanks… for dinner…"

"You've already thanked me, twice." Sora kissed her forehead.

She was asleep within minutes.

o-o-o-o

Xion pressed the button to close the elevator doors. She leaned against the wall as she waited, letting out a deep sigh. It'd been a long night.

When she arrived on her floor, she could hear the faint sound of a child crying. She knew she was taking a risk every time she left, but she had no other choice. Midway down the hall, Xion pulled out her room key. Of course, that crying was coming from her room.

' _I'm sorry, baby.'_

Just as the light flashed green, the door from the room beside her creaked open. A large, middle-aged woman stepped out.

"Excuse me, is that your room?" She yelled, exasperated. "I could not get to sleep because of all that crying! And this isn't the first night, either!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Terrible two's," Xion said, trying to laugh it off. She flinched when the woman got closer.

"Is there even anyone in there with it?" She shoved Xion out of the way and pushed her door wide open.

"Hey!" Xion rushed into the room, only to find Jin standing by the bed, his eyes red with tears. The woman's jaw dropped when she realized he was alone.

"You left this child by himself?!"

"This is none of your business! Get out!" Xion pleaded, but she was too weak to move the heavyset woman.

"I can't even believe it! There's no one else here!" She screamed, pushing Xion to the ground. "I'm calling the police! This is child neglect! You've been gone for at least an hour!"

"N-no!" Xion begged, trying to snatch the lady's phone from her. She blocked the doorway so Xion couldn't escape. Jin started crying again. This was it. She was busted. If the police came, she would lose her child. She couldn't give up.

A fit of rage overcome her, and Xion socked the woman in the face several times. She took her phone and threw it at the wall, then quickly ran for her duffle bag. Jin's cries got louder as the woman charged at Xion, grabbing her by the hair and nearly ripping a chunk out as she screamed profanities. Xion managed to swing at her once, but then was grabbed by the arm. She swung Xion backward so hard, her head hit the wall and she felt woozy. The woman nearly tripped over the duffle bag and picked up the hotel phone, since it was the closest to her, and dialed 911 again.

Her vision started to blur. She couldn't move. More screaming. More cries.

She'd lost.

o-o-o-o

 _03/14/2019_

 **A/N:** Could Kairi be feelin' those pregnancy symptoms? Uh oh! Sorry, Xion is just as pathetic in that scene as she is in the entire KH series… lol, she's basically a ragdoll. Please let me know what you think in a review!

Also, check out the new chapter of _Sex Ed_! We finally updated after… uh, a while! It's in my favorites!


	9. nine

**Nine.**

o-o-o-o

Kairi woke up with Sora the next morning, still feeling a little out of it. She worked in a few hours, so she needed to get home. She decided to make scrambled eggs while Sora was in the shower. He normally skipped breakfast, but she hoped to break that habit. Kairi found a coffee maker stashed in one of the cabinets, washed it thoroughly, and brewed his favorite—a blend of milk and hazelnut. He always spent the money on it, so she figured it was the least she could do.

Plus, she enjoyed doing things for him, even if he didn't ask. His infectious smile made everything worth it. Kairi poured the flavored coffee into a blue mug and set it aside. A few minutes later, Sora entered the kitchen.

"Whoa, what's this? And you made coffee?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder from behind.

"Oh, you know, just making sure you don't starve."

"Thanks, babe." Sora leaned against the counter and sipped on the coffee.

"I'm no barista, but I hope it suffices." Kairi handed him a plate full of eggs and ham.

"It's perfect."

They went out onto the patio, just in time to watch the sunrise over the ocean.

"I haven't taken you to the island yet. Maybe we can do that this weekend?" Sora asked.

"Sounds like fun. Sure."

"You'll love it. Anyway, you seem to be feeling better."

"Somewhat. I felt a little nauseous earlier, but I'm okay for now. Again, sorry about last night."

"Don't worry about it. You know I love to sleep. By the way, this is good." He flashed that smile that she grew so fond of and looked back to the sky.

"Thanks."

Something weighed on her mind, however. She couldn't stop thinking about the talk she had with her mother and realized she hadn't told Sora about it yet. She couldn't stand holding it in any longer.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing how quiet she was being.

"Um, well, I wanted to tell you something."

"Sure, what's up?"

"I was at my mom's yesterday, and we actually talked about my father."

Sora set the mug on the table, a look of concern forming. "Oh yeah?"

Kairi hesitated; it made her sensitive, but she didn't want to hold it in any longer. "He came up in conversation, and I finally decided to ask about him. She didn't want to tell me at first, but I insisted. She said he was irresponsible, verbally abusive and a cheater."

"That sucks," Sora replied.

"Yeah. I guess I've always wanted to know what he was like, but I was afraid. Who's to say he would not have acted differently if he met me? Would he have liked me? Would I have liked him? My mom told me not to blame myself, but… I can't help it. I keep trying to convince myself that we we're better off without him, just like she says, but…"

"It must be hard, wondering all these what if's," Sora interrupted, "but Kairi, maybe you should trust what your mother says. To me, it sounds like she did you a big favor by not allowing him to corrupt your life. If she would have forced him, I'm sorry, but I just don't see how that would have done any good, especially if he was abusive. I say this with the utmost sympathy… I almost don't feel like I have the right to do so, but I hope you understand where I'm coming from."

Kairi nodded, her eyes watering. Sora took her hand in his. "It's okay. I say I want to know, but I don't have the guts. If I met him now, I would probably just hate him even more. Then again, I have to wonder what he's doing at this point in his life, like, was it worth it to skip out on us?"

Sora sighed. He wished he knew what to say, but he just felt like he would be repeating himself at this point. He couldn't relate to her, but he at least wanted to make her feel better. Mustering a grin, he thought carefully before replying.

"You know what, Kairi? I bet he regrets it. I bet his life sucks, and he wakes up every day, wondering why he made such a horrible mistake. You are an amazing person, and he missed out. His incompetence is not your fault. You've probably been told that so many times before but trust me. I've seen it time and time again—children that get the short end of the stick because the parents don't want to grow up, or they don't get along, or whatever reason, but in your case, I really respect what your mother did. Taking care of you by herself? It must have been tough. I can't even imagine."

Kairi couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. I really should just forget about him, huh?"

"Not necessarily. You just have to remember that his actions don't define you."

Hearing this, not only from her mother and grandmother, but Sora as well, only made her feelings on the matter stronger. She had people around her that truly cared, and just because she didn't have the typical family unit that she desperately hoped for growing up, all that didn't matter as much as it used to. If anything, Kairi was thankful now more than ever.

"Sorry you had to hear all that. Definitely too much at six in the morning…"

"No, I'm glad you told me. I just wish I could help more. I don't like it when you're sad."

"Just listening is enough for me. Sora, you're the best."

"I'm nothing compared to you."

Kairi blushed and checked time. "I… hate to cut this short, but don't you have to get going?"

"Unfortunately." They sauntered back to the kitchen. Kairi was about to do dishes while Sora finished getting ready, but he stopped her, stealing a kiss in the process. "Don't even think about it. I'll do them when I get home."

Kairi couldn't argue with that and stepped away from the sink. She grabbed her things and met him at the front door. What a nice start to the day, she thought. They made it to the elevator, but Kairi still wanted a little more. She hated always having to leave, and she knew he did too. As soon as the doors shut, she turned, pulled him by the tie, and mashed her lips with his. It took Sora a moment to register such a sudden onset of affection, but he wasn't complaining.

"You know, there are cameras in this elevator," he said huskily, not hesitating to kiss her again.

"If I cared, I wouldn't have done it."

"Are you trying to make me late?"

Kairi smirked as she gave one last kiss, then separated from him as soon as the elevator stopped. Sora, a little flustered, took her hand and tried to pretend like nothing happened when they entered the lobby. Once they got outside, she spoke again.

"You alright?" she teased as they walked around the side of the building.

"Me? Totally fine, but…" He swung her around and kissed her. Cramped between a crevice in the building, Sora blocked her with one hand on the wall and the other tucked around her waist. He pressed his body against hers, engaging her in a passionate exchange that made her weak in the knees.

"S-Sora-"

"You can't just do that and expect to get away with it," he growled, giving her no time to respond.

Sora was a little surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck, prolonging the kiss. Her back pressed against the wall as he leaned in, not allowing her to escape. She whimpered beneath him, nervous as hell at the chance of being seen. This wasn't exactly the most private of places, and someone could walk by at any moment. Sora flashed a devious grin and forced her darting eyes back at his before closing again.

He sure wished he could take her back upstairs right about now…

Finally, they parted when she thought she heard some voices nearby. Kairi gulped, quickly removing his hands from her hips and straightening her clothes.

"You see what you do to me?" Sora breathed, calmly adjusting his red tie.

Kairi couldn't help but laugh, her cheeks crimson. "Okay, okay, I won't randomly make out with you in the elevator again."

"No, by all means," he said, then checked to make sure the coast was clear. They got back on the sidewalk and headed for the street up the hill. Kairi couldn't look at him without blushing, and that was satisfying enough.

"You're definitely going to be late now. What sort of excuse are you going to give your coworkers?"

"I'll just blame it on you. Why should I lie?"

Kairi's face reddened. "Sora…"

They made it to the street, where a few cabs were already waiting. Kairi pouted; it was time to say goodbye for now.

"Come back tonight?" he asked, and she nodded in response. She wondered if he would skip work if she asked, but then decided against it. She really didn't want to leave. Sora shoved some money into her hand to pay for the cab fare, much to her disapproval, and then hurried to the cab behind hers. He settled into the backseat, taking one more look at her.

Even in a hoodie and sweatpants, she was beautiful.

o-o-o-o

A few hours later, Sora spun around in his work chair. One of his clients canceled on him, and now he had a chance to catch up on some other things. He was struggling to get to them, however. He was in a rather procrastinating mood, unable to get a certain someone off his mind.

There was a knock at his door, and Pence poked his head in.

"Hey, wanna get some subs?" he asked.

Even though he wasn't hungry yet, that sounded a lot better than burying himself in paperwork. Sora put his computer on stand by and went into the lobby.

"Yay! You're coming!" Shiki cheered, grabbing her purse and joining them at the door.

The sandwich shop was only a few blocks away. Sora got something to drink and sat beside Pence, who was already stuffing his face with an Italian sub. Shiki munched on some chips while she typed away on her phone.

"There she goes again, always on that phone," Sora jested. She could text a mile a minute, with one hand, nonetheless.

Shiki pursed her lips together. "Oh, whatever. Sorry, guys, I gotta tell Neku about something."

"How is he, by the way?" Pence asked.

"He's doing okay. You know him, always working late. We barely get to see each other. When I work, he sleeps and vice versa."

"Isn't he a DJ?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, part-time, though. Since we live in such a sketchy neighborhood, I basically had to beg him just to stay home at night."

Sora recalled her story about the peeping tom. "Did they ever catch that creeper?"

Shiki solemnly shook her head, sighing. "I haven't heard of anything in the past two weeks, but I'm still afraid. I've looked into taking self-defense classes."

"Sounds like a good idea," Pence said. "My cousin could teach you. She has her own karate dojo."

"Cool! I've always wanted to learn martial arts, but I chose cheerleading instead."

"I feel ya on that one. My mom made me study all the time, so I never could do any extracurricular activities," Pence replied. He pat Sora on the back, rather hard. "Meanwhile, this guy over here did everything."

"Really? Like what?" Shiki asked. "Didn't you guys go to the same high school?"

"Yeah, we graduated at the same time. I was on the swim team for a few years, and then I stopped and took surfing classes." Sora shrugged. "That's about it."

"Not only that, you maintained straight A's, volunteered at the local shelters, and one time I heard you saved a little, old lady from getting run over," Pence added.

"Okay, I never volunteered anywhere, especially not in high school, and I have no idea what little, old lady you're referring to." Sora wanted to laugh.

Pence scratched the back of his head. "Really? Maybe I'm confusing you with someone else."

"Probably Riku," Sora said. "He didn't have the best grades, but I remember him volunteering at the animal shelter. I also could see him risking his own life to save a sweet, old lady. He became a police officer, for goodness sakes."

"That makes more sense," Pence concluded.

"That's cool. So, what do you guys do when you're not working? Sorry if that's a super weird question, but all we ever really talk about is work," Shiki said.

Sora thought to himself. "Well, other than sleep and hang out with my girlfriend, not much."

"Girlfriend?!" Shiki exclaimed. Pence rolled his eyes. "You didn't tell me!"

Sora let out a nervous laugh. "I thought I mentioned it?"

"No! Show me pictures, now!"

After Sora unlocked his phone, she snatched it from his hands. She'd done it several times before, so he didn't mind much.

"Satisfied? There's your proof that she's real," Sora said, taking his phone back. He stared at Kairi's picture for a moment before putting it away.

"How did you know I would question it?" Shiki gave an innocent smile. "She's so cute! Definitely out of your league."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sora replied.

"You should bring her to the next banquet," Pence suggested, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"I think I'd rather save her the trouble."

Shiki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Neku wouldn't be caught dead at one of those."

All this talk about Kairi was only making him miss her again. Shiki and Pence got into another discussion about the intricacies of daily life, so Sora absentmindedly looked up at the TV screen in the corner of the room. The news was on, and they were finishing up a story on the latest robbery. Sora tried to stay up to date with these things. Once that segment was over, they started on the next.

' _Breaking News: 28-year-old woman leaves her two-year-old son by himself in a hotel room for hours.'_

A mugshot appeared on the screen, and Sora nearly spit out his soda. Pence and Shiki stopped talking to see what was going on.

' _Xion Misaki was arrested late last night after another hotel guest discovered her two-year-old child in the hotel room by himself. She claimed he'd been crying for a few hours, and the mother was nowhere in sight. When Ms. Misaki returned to the room, the guest confronted her. There was no one else in the room with the child.'_

Sora couldn't believe what he was seeing. That was the same hotel he booked her room a month before. Had she been staying there this entire time?!

' _The child is now in custody of CPS while they search for another parent or guardian. Ms. Misaki refuses to speak to authorities.'_

Sora rose from his chair, unsure of why he did so.

"Are you okay?" Shiki asked.

"I… I've gotta go," Sora said, and without any further explanation, hurried out of the shop.

o-o-o-o

Xion had been alone in this room for hours.

The police were trying to get any sort of explanation out of her, but she wouldn't budge. She finally opted for a lawyer, and they just left her there. Her eyes were red from the constant crying, and all she wanted was her son. 

The door to the interrogation room flung open. Sora stood there, stunned as to what he was seeing. Xion, clad in a grey jumpsuit, lifted her head. The door slammed shut, and a bitter silence filled the air.

"S-Sora…?" she questioned but got no response.

Sora sauntered to the opposite side of the table. Xion's gaze lowered, on the verge of tears once again. The chair screeched across the floor as he sat down.

"What are you doing—"

"Quiet."

Her lips quivered. He was the last person she expected to show up, but regardless, she was relieved.

Sora watched her for a few minutes. He couldn't seem to figure Xion out; not then, and certainly not now. The news reports were disgusting, but Sora knew better than to get caught up in tabloids. He wanted the facts.

But why did it matter? Why did he feel so compelled to come here in the first place? What sort of barriers did he just tear down? Aside from seeing her just a month before, he'd lost all contact and consideration for her since their breakup. She left him to be with another man, or men, he wasn't sure. They went through so many awful things back then, and Sora couldn't comprehend his own thought process in that moment. She shattered him so many years ago, yet here he was.

He also wondered if he needed to let Kairi in on this but figured he would do that after he had a better understanding of the situation. It was bad enough that he dropped everything to come here. In that aspect, he didn't feel right, but eventually he would have to tell her.

Jin was in the custody of child services, so at least he was safe. He knew Xion had a fear of the child's father, and it may not have been in the child's best interest if he was contacted. Still, his assumptions were based off what his lying, conniving ex-girlfriend told him.

After a prolonged silence, he spoke. "Tell me what happened."

Xion raised an eyebrow. "Are you here to help me, or do you just want to shove it all in my face?"

"I don't know yet."

Even though Xion desperately needed some form of legal help, she wasn't sure what Sora would do if he knew everything. No person with a decent mindset would ever take her seriously, let alone her ex. Still, all she cared about was getting her son back.

"The woman at the hotel wants to press charges," Sora continued. "Not only are you facing assault, but child endangerment?"

Xion sighed deeply. She couldn't talk to Sora about this. "Why do you care? I thought you hated me."

Hate was an understatement, but Sora kept his mouth shut. He kept picturing Jin in his head, and how frightened he must have been right now. He had absolutely no relation to this kid, yet he couldn't shake the thought. But was it the only reason? He couldn't explain his presence otherwise…

He was starting to regret this.

"Let me tell you something, Xion. I'm here because of the child."

"I don't understand."

He faltered, but his stance remained strong. "If child services were to contact the biological father, would he be in danger?"

She clammed up again, unsure of whether to tell him. What did Sora have to gain? Why did he suddenly care so much?

On the other hand, he was the only one that could help her now. He was offering by his own free will, and it would be stupid of her not to take it. Xion couldn't hold back her tears as she started shaking. "Y-yes, Sora, he would be in danger. That's why I ran away with nothing but a bag of diapers and the clothes on our backs. Oh… my little boy… my Jin… he must be so scared right now…"

Sora gulped. Could he really handle this? He had no doubt that Jin meant the world to her, as any child would to their mother. He allowed her to collect herself before speaking again.

"He has full parental rights to this child, correct?"

"Yes. He signed the birth certificate and everything."

"And how long would it take CPS to find this information? He's the first person they're going to look for, not to mention this is all over the news." It was more of a rhetorical question; Sora knew the answer.

"I-I don't know, probably not long…"

If Sora took this case, he would be taking a huge risk not only for himself, but the law firm too. He tried his best to stay out of media frenzy; only his father could step into such scrutinizing and cut-throat territory. Not to mention his clear distaste for the defendant, whom he wasn't sure he could remain objective with for long.

"Was there no one else you could go to? What about your brother?"

Xion sniffled and shook her head. "He abandoned me. He got married two years ago, and his new wife hates me. She doesn't want anything to do with me, and naturally, he takes her side. I have no one, Sora. No one but… Jin…"

Sora was about to speak, but she interrupted.

"You have some idea of what it's like… to lose a child…" Xion sobbed. "When they took him away, it felt exactly like that day. He's… gone…"

"Xion, let's not—"

"No, Sora!" she snapped, tears draining down her face. None of this made any sense to her. "I'm sorry, but I don't know why you're here. You already told me to get lost. I am beyond ashamed for what I've had to do to keep my son safe and fed, and here you are, just looking for any reason to fuel your hatred for me even more. When we lost that child so many years ago, I changed, you changed. I was already screwed up in the head, I know, but that was the breaking point. I felt such intense sorrow, that I stopped caring about everything, even your feelings. We fought nonstop, and I ended up sleeping with other men. Yes, I was a whore. You said it yourself. You know what? I bet you were happy about the miscarriage. You didn't want to be with me anymore, and that was your ticket to get out."

Sora slammed his hand on the table, causing her to flinch. "How fucking dare you!" Hysterical, Xion desperately tried to apologize, but he wasn't having it. "How could you even think that? Yeah, it was a mistake to come here." Sora grabbed his briefcase. "Have a nice time in prison."

"Wait, Sora! Please… I can't let Jin go back to his father. He'll hurt him…"

Sora stopped in front of the door.

"His father is evil... please…"

Sora took a few deep breaths, trying his hardest to calm down. Pain clenched his heart as the memories resurfaced, threatening to consume his mind. He never forgot, only stashed it away.

"If I lost Jin, I would die..."

Sora sighed deeply, then turned back around. No matter what ill feelings he had for her, he knew she meant it. He set his briefcase on top of the table and sat down once again, this time unsure of how to continue.

For Xion, Jin was a second chance. For reasons that he couldn't even begin to fathom, he felt like he owed it to her to help.

"Okay, if I'm going to do this, Xion, I'm going to need one-hundred percent honesty."

She sniffled and nodded slightly. Was he really going to help her?

"Everyone will be against you, and even those at the law firm are going to hate me for this, but that's okay. As far as the money goes, if we lose, I don't get paid. It's simple."

"I'll definitely find a way to pay you…"

"Let's just see how it goes."

Sora had no idea what he was getting himself into.

o-o-o-o

Kairi ran to the bathroom just in time to vomit. The nausea hit her fast, and thankfully she didn't have any customers at the moment. That was it. She needed to get checked out.

"Kairi?" Yuna knocked on the door. "Are you okay in there?"

A few minutes later, Kairi stumbled out of the bathroom, her face pale and her eyes heavy.

"Oh… you need to go home," Yuna said. Kairi simply nodded and went for her purse.

There was a walk-in clinic just a few blocks down from her workplace. Kairi barely made it; the hot sun didn't make her feel any better. She slowly walked up to the front desk, feeling lightheaded.

"I, um… I don't… feel…"

Everything went black.

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

 _03/30/2019_

 **A/N:** I felt like Sora and Kairi needed one more cute scene before everything went downhill! They're in such a honeymoon stage…

Thanks to everyone that reviewed so far, and I hope you continue to do so! Special shout outs to those that have left multiple reviews:

 **o . Sora . o  
what-a-wannabe  
** **KeyWeilderAnima  
NinjaQueen33  
wicholeweyes  
Ker Dunne**

and ofc Blissy and Painted With a Palette – y'all so cool

'til next time!


	10. ten

**Ten.**

o-o-o-o

Sora watched Xion from the opposite side of the table. He didn't have much longer; the police were only allowing him so much time. He needed specific details so he could determine which way to go about it all.

"What should we do?" Xion asked wearily.

"Tell me the truth. Don't leave anything out. Where were you, why did you leave Jin by himself, and for how long? What did that woman say to you? You must understand, Xion, that a child endangerment charge, although very serious, can also be extremely vague. There's almost never concrete proof, and it's usually just a matter of your word against someone else's. Just start from the beginning."

"Okay." Xion tensed, sighing deeply. "I needed money, so when he fell asleep, I left him in the hotel room. I know it was wrong, but I felt like I didn't have a choice. I didn't care if I went without food, but I wasn't about to let my child starve."

Sora's fists clenched, but he remained calm. "How did you get money, Xion? Please don't tell me drugs were involved, because if so, that's an entirely different ball game."

She shook her head, her face reddening. "That's not it. I'd… I'd rather not say."

"Well, unless you stole it, that narrows it down significantly. If I'm going to give you any sort of legal counsel, then you need to tell me everything. Can you do that?"

She bowed her head in shame. "You'll just hate me more."

"You're right, I might, but that doesn't matter. The child doesn't deserve this." Sora had trouble believing his own words.

Xion spoke quietly, "I did favors for men. And I may have pawned a few things."

Sora grimaced. Just the thought…

"Either you pawned things, or you didn't."

"Okay, I did."

"Thank you."

There it was again, that look of the utmost disgust and disappointment. Sora paused. What was he really getting himself into? Could he handle the repercussions?

"So, during this time that you were out getting money, how long were you gone?"

"Just a couple of hours at a time. I try to make at least forty bucks, and I can usually do that in a few rounds…"

Sora cringed. The mental image made him want to gag. "Anyway…"

"Sorry. Jin barely ever wakes up during the night, and I knew it was a risk. But if I didn't get money somehow, we would be back on the streets, and then he would be taken from me anyway…"

"How often did this happen? Once or twice a week? Four times? Five?"

It was getting harder for her to answer. "Almost every night. I swear, I was never gone longer than a few hours…"

"How long did you leave Jin alone last night?" Sora asked.

"Just one hour. Promise. When I came back to my room, he was crying. I felt so horrible…"

Another thing really bothered him. "So, you managed to stay in that hotel for an entire month?" Sora asked, astounded. "Is my credit card still on file?"

Xion's eyes lowered. "...yes, but don't worry, I would never take advantage of that. You can check it, too. I've been very careful. I never used it."

Sora felt like such an idiot. "Okay, well, that was my fault for not thinking it through. You know if there were to be any charges to the card, that would be considered fraud, right? You did not have my permission to use it for any longer than the two nights."

"Sora, I'm so sorry. I paid weekly in cash. The card is just a placeholder. It was a roof over our heads, and I was desperate…"

Sora inhaled deeply, trying to calm the anger stirring inside. He should have known better than to book that room, but there was nothing he could do about it now. It was over and done with.

Xion proceeded to tell him about the fight with the woman at the hotel. She did hit first, but she felt like it was justified in the sense that everything was about to fall apart. Sora took notes, piecing together things in his mind.

"Okay, so my initial thoughts are for you to just keep your mouth shut, obviously. Don't tell _anyone_ about anything. Next, I'll meet with this woman and get her to drop the charges."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" Xion asked in disbelief.

"I'll just have to convince her that it was all a misunderstanding. It doesn't matter what you were doing. Is she sure that you were gone for that long? Regardless of what she says, she doesn't have proof other than finding him in the room. You could have been down the hall to get some ice for all she knew. Sometimes, kids just throw tantrums for a long time and you can't always stop them."

Xion bowed her head. "Sora, thank you. You have no idea how much this all means to me…"

She sure as hell didn't deserve it, but…

"Lay low for a while. I'll keep you updated."

Pretty soon, their time was up, and Xion had to be escorted back to her cell. Sora gathered his things and watched them take her away in handcuffs. All in all, he truly did feel sorry for her. She'd gone through more traumatic things than the average person, and he couldn't help but have a soft spot, despite their extensive history.

The past was the past. He had to remember that in order to keep moving forward.

o-o-o-o

Kairi's eyes flickered open. Grumbling to herself, she took in the white ceiling above. A beeping sound hummed in her ear, and she wasn't sure where it was coming from.

"Kairi, can you hear me?"

Namine stood in her peripheral vision, and she turned her head slightly. Confused, Kairi didn't answer at first.

"Oh, thank God, you're awake," another familiar voice sounded. Roxas came and stood next to his girlfriend. "I'll get the nurse."

"Huh?" Kairi pulled herself up, her head pounding. The mattress was uncomfortable, and she was sweating. She noticed an IV in her hand, and suddenly, her panic rose. "W-why am I here?"

Namine gave her a sympathetic look. "You don't remember? You passed out…'

"I… did?"

Before she could respond, Roxas returned with a nurse. He and Namine stepped aside and allowed her to assess Kairi's condition. She checked the monitor and unkinked the IV line, causing it to stop beeping.

"How are you feeling, Kairi?" the nurse asked.

"Very confused… and my head hurts…"

She allowed the nurse to take her blood pressure and whatever other routine things she needed to do. "You arrived here a few hours ago. We took a blood sample when you got here, just to cover all the bases. We notified the doctor about you waking up, and she should be in shortly with some results."

"Any idea why?" Namine asked.

"The doctor will discuss those further."

After the nurse left, Namine and Roxas came back over to her. None of them had any idea what was going on. The last thing Kairi remembered was leaving work because she got sick, and then walking to a clinic…

"I hate hospitals," Roxas said, breaking the ice.

"Sorry, guys, but thank you for coming."

"Of course! You have no idea how freaked out I was, and still am. I wish they would hurry up with those results, whatever they may be!" Namine crossed her arms impatiently.

"What do you think it is?" Roxas asked.

"I don't know. I've just been feeling sick, that's all. I guess the heat got to me. Whatever it is will probably pass," Kairi reassured. She was trying her best to think positively.

"I hope so," Namine said. "Are you going to call Sora? Or your mom?"

Kairi shook her head. The last thing she wanted to do was make them worry. "We'll see what the doctor says first."

They waited around for a little longer. Kairi's headache was finally starting to go away, and she just felt tired now. She wondered what a doctor could possibly have to say, but she was also curious if there was more to it than just the typical, flu-like symptoms. It scared her to think about. She'd only been in the hospital once before, and she didn't like it any better the second time.

Finally, the doctor arrived.

"Kairi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Gainsborough." She shook her outstretched hand. "How are you feeling right now?"

"I'm okay, I guess…"

Namine and Roxas bowed slightly to her, and then she sat in her rolling chair. "Kairi, are you okay with them being here, or would you like them to step out? I have results of your blood test, and I'm not sure if you want them to—"

"No, it's fine. I don't mind if they hear it. They're my best friends."

Dr. Gainsborough nodded, and wrote something on her clipboard. "Are you sure? This may get a little personal."

What was that supposed to mean?

"Whatever it is, I'm going to tell them anyway," Kairi pointed out, but her comment did make her a little more nervous. Something must be wrong…

"Alright, then. Kairi, you're here because you passed out. You know this. When you arrived, you had extremely low blood pressure, but also a high fever. We were able to get that under control with antibiotics, and we took some blood samples just to be on the safe side. Most of your numbers were normal, so we concluded that this was just an isolated incident, but then we looked at your hCG levels."

Namine gasped, seemingly having an idea as to where this was going.

"hCG?" Kairi questioned. She knew it was a type of hormone, but she couldn't recall exactly what it was in reference to at that moment. Be it nerves or whatever, but she just felt so lost right now.

"This hormone is produced by cells in the placenta when an embryo attaches to the uterine wall. I ordered an hCG blood test since you were still unconscious to specifically check for it, and Kairi, there is only one conclusion here. You are pregnant."

Her mind went blank.

"C-Come again?"

Namine covered her mouth in shock, and Roxas' jaw dropped.

"The reason you haven't been feeling well is because you are indeed pregnant. Your body is going through a lot of changes right now, and it throws your hormones—"

"What?!" Kairi yelled, her breathing rapidly intensifying.

Was this really happening?!

"I'll give you a few minutes to process this information. I don't want you to make any rash decisions right now, but we will need to discuss your options." Dr. Gainsborough stepped out.

Namine rushed to her side. Kairi was shaking. How could this happen? When? They were so careful!

"Yup, it's decided. I'm going to murder that son of a—" Roxas was cut off when Kairi burst into tears.

"Don't worry, Kairi! You'll figure this out," Namine consoled, but it didn't help. Kairi trembled, unable to control the emotions surging through her.

She felt like she was going to pass out again. This was way too much. As much as she wanted to calm down and think rationally, all she could do was cry her eyes out. It couldn't be true! How stupid she must have been, to let such a thing happen…

She didn't want this. She couldn't… take care of a child…

And Sora… what would he think?

Her mother, grandmother… they would be so disappointed. She couldn't even imagine what was really going through her best friend's minds, either.

Namine stepped away from the bed and allowed her to just let it out. Roxas did the same, unable to come up with anything to help the situation.

She couldn't tell him. Sora didn't want kids. Hell, she didn't even want any right now…

But would that make her a hypocrite? She clearly knew the risks of unprotected sex, which they only did twice early on... still, Kairi couldn't think straight.

The vibration from her phone sounded, and a message from Sora's popped up.

"Great, just great…" she managed between sobs.

"Do you want me to—" Namine started, but Kairi quickly refused.

She just needed to breathe.

o-o-o-o

Sora got back to the office, really questioning himself. Xion may have been far too much for him to handle, but he was already invested. Still, a mix of disgust and pity swarmed through him, and he tried not let it consume him.

Mr. Yamada was talking with one of his clients on their way out. Sora avoided his gaze, not ready to let him in on his rather impulsive decision. Shiki waved happily from the reception desk, and even feigning a smile was tough. Sora settled into his chair, staring blankly at the computer screen.

Maybe he should have thought about it a little more...

There was a knock on his door, interrupting his train of thought.

"Yes?"

Mr. Yamada came in. "I just wanted to know if you were coming to dinner on Sunday? Your mother said she never got a response."

He forgot all about it. Sora already made plans to take Kairi to the island that day, but he would probably have to settle for it another time. Whenever his mother had a family dinner, she expected _everyone_ to be there.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Alright. Dinner's at six." With that, he left. Sora sighed in relief. His father would kill him if he knew what he was doing, not just because of who it was, but the media's involvement as well. Since that morning, it had blown up, and Sora wasn't sure whether it would fade out or not. Sometimes, headlines just came and went. Regardless, he needed to come up with a plan, and fast.

It didn't help when he opened the browser on his computer and it was one of the top stories.

 _"Xion Misaki, 28, lawyers up."_

"Shit…" Sora panicked, hoping his name hadn't been thrown into the crossfire already. He scanned over the article but thankfully, didn't find it.

Either way, Sora felt confident that he could get these charges dropped, or at least the minimum sentence. It didn't sound like the woman had much evidence, other than finding the child by himself. He needed to contact her right away.

An hour or so went by, and Sora decided to call it a night. It was starting to get dark outside, and most of his coworkers had already left. The light was still on in his father's office, the door cracked slightly.

"I'm heading out," Sora told him.

"Alright, see you tomorrow, son."

"Yup."

Sora called Kairi as soon as he got outside, but she didn't pick up. She said she would come back over that night, and he hadn't heard from her since that afternoon. Granted, he was busy most the day, and _a little_ stressed. He sent a message to let her know he was on his way home. He figured he would explain everything to her tonight. He didn't want to keep something like this from his girlfriend.

Twenty minutes went by, and no answer.

Sora got off the bus and went down the stairs. Maybe her phone was on silent or she was busy. When he got to his apartment, he threw his phone on the bed, keeping his eye on it while he changed into more comfortable clothes. He didn't want to pester her and call again, but normally she would have at least responded by now, especially if they had plans.

It wasn't until eight o'clock rolled around without any word that he started to worry. He called her again. After three rings, she finally answered.

No, wait, that wasn't her voice.

"Hello? Sora?" Namine said on the other line.

"Oh, uh, hey. Is Kairi around?"

"Um, she is but…" she sounded a little nervous. "Kairi can't come to the phone right now. She's…"

"Is she okay?" Namine was starting to scare him. He heard her exchanging some words with a male voice. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Sora, you should come to the hospital. Kairi passed out and she's here in the ER," Namine said finally.

"The ER?!"

"Don't worry, she's awake now and she's doing a little better, but she wants to see you…"

Sora grabbed his wallet and slipped on his shoes. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up and rushed to the elevator, his mind swirling from the possibilities. No wonder she didn't answer, but he never thought it would be something like this, even though she hadn't been feeling well for the past few days. Why was this elevator taking so long?! Sora was about to take the stairs, but then the light came on and the doors opened.

Of course, none of the cabs were around when he really needed them, and the bus just left. Sora called an Uber, hoping that one could be here quickly. "Damn it…" he said. The wait time for the nearest one was another ten minutes.

Finally, he made it to the hospital. Mixed emotions hit him as he stepped into the ER, unsure of where to go. The last time he was here…

He spotted what looked like Roxas over at a vending machine and hurried over to him.

"Oh, you made it." Roxas had a sad look on his face, only making Sora more anxious. What was going on? Why wouldn't anyone tell him?! He impatiently followed Roxas to the room, hardly able to keep his composure. Roxas slid the door open and they stepped inside. Namine sat in a chair across from the bed and greeted him with a forced smile.

Kairi's back faced him, and Sora wasn't sure what to think.

"Kairi, he's here. Roxas and I are going to step out for a while," Namine told her. After they exited the room, Sora slowly walked around to the other side of the bed.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

"K-Kairi…" Sora pulled up a chair next to the bed, not taking his eyes from her. She looked like she'd been crying for hours. Sora swallowed the lump in his throat as he tried to process it all.

"Hi," she peeped, sniffling. Sora gave her an incredulous look.

"What happened? You passed out? Are you okay?" He had a million more questions, but she was overwhelmed enough. She was slow to answer, only making him panic more.

Kairi looked into his azure eyes, unsure of what would become of them after this. She cherished this moment, despite the intense pain it caused, and once he knew, there was no going back.

"I'm okay, I guess. I woke up here a few hours ago. I'm sorry for not calling you sooner. Namine was on my emergency contacts list, so they called her when they couldn't get a hold of my mother. She's changed her number since then, and I just haven't updated it."

In truth, Kairi was so glad it was Namine instead.

"It's okay, but damn, you sure had me worried. Do they know why you passed out?"

It killed him to see her this way.

Kairi pulled the covers closer and gulped. Maybe this wasn't a good idea…

"Kairi, please talk to me. What's going on?"

Tears filled her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Sora tried to comfort her, but it didn't help. This was it. If she told him, he would probably leave her. She had no idea where that conclusion came from, but it just felt like this was the end.

At the same time, she wasn't ready. She didn't have the means to support a child. She still felt like she had a lot of growing up to do. She needed to finish school, start a career… and now, all of that seemed impossible. Either way, hiding this from him wasn't right. Kairi sat up in the bed, her gaze fixated on the sheets.

"Sora, I have… something to tell you."

Sweat dripped from his forehead. That didn't sound good. His heart beat faster as he waited for her to continue. "What is it?"

"They said I passed out because I had really low blood pressure but feeling sick contributed." Kairi desperately tried to hold back her tears. "But the reason I've been feeling sick and lethargic in the first place…"

She couldn't do this…

"Why? What's wrong, Kairi?" Sora urged, reaching for her hand. She instinctively pulled away, hugging her knees tightly. It was hard enough to look at him, let alone touch him. Sora took the hint and kept quiet. She was really scaring him now.

Kairi sniffled and took a deep breath. She exhaled, a shaky whimper escaping her lips.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence. Sora just stared, his mouth ajar, seemingly frozen in place.

"…Sora?"

"I'm sorry, you're what?"

Was he really going to make her repeat herself? He heard exactly what she said. Kairi pulled the covers close and focused on the blurry ceiling. What in the world could he be possibly be thinking right now?

She had a feeling she didn't want to know…

After an excruciating, prolonged silence, Sora got up. Speechless, he stalled by her bedside for a moment, then hurriedly walked out of the room. The door slammed shut, and an influx of tears emerged once again.

She was all alone.

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

 _3/31/2019_

 **A/N:** Okay, I didn't expect to update this early but there ya go! Please leave a review, and thanks to those who already did so on the previous chapter!

Someone's about to have a meltdown…


	11. eleven

**Eleven.**

o-o-o-o

 _Sora sat at the desk in the spare room of his apartment, trying to force himself to finish this dissertation. It was the final semester of law school, and if he didn't make a top score, he wouldn't graduate. Frustrated, he fell back in his chair. He couldn't focus._

 _He heard the water turn on in the kitchen, meaning Xion was awake. She'd been in bed all day. Sora decided to leave her be; although he felt horrible himself, he couldn't imagine what she was going through. He stared blankly at the laptop screen before him._

 _It hurt too much._

 _The weekend before, he spent nearly all day figuring out how to set up a crib. It was a long and exhausting experience, but he did it. Xion was overjoyed when she saw it and appreciated it so much. Everything was coming together, and the future looked promising._

 _And now, they didn't need it anymore. He couldn't bring himself to take it apart just yet, though._

 _They planned to keep the sex of the baby a surprise. Xion preferred a girl, but Sora didn't care. He just wanted to be the best father he possibly could. They hadn't told anyone the news, even three days later. It was a wonder that he still made it to class._

 _Finally, Sora gave up for the night. He shut his laptop and dragged himself into the kitchen, where he found Xion leaning against the sink and staring at the floor. They only spoke a handful of words to each other over the past few days; mainly just him checking on her. Sora took the glass from her hand and set it on the counter, then pulled her into a hug._

 _It was so hard not to cry._

 _"Not now, please…" she whispered, but Sora held on. If anything, he needed a hug more than she did. "Sora," she protested again, and he finally let go._

 _"Sorry." He stepped back, giving her space. Xion let out a dejected sigh and went back to their bedroom._

 _The couch it was._

 _With a long night ahead of him, Sora lay on the couch. The city lights flashed from the window, and it was way too noisy. He planned to get a new apartment, one much more peaceful than this. However, it didn't even matter anymore._

 _The future meant nothing.  
_

o-o-o-o

This looked so bad.

Sora paced down the hallway, his mind in shambles. Each step felt heavier than the last, and he couldn't shake the unrelenting ache deep within his chest.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Roxas yelled after him. He shoved the door to the floor balcony open, hoping some fresh air would provide the peace he desperately needed. He couldn't be in that room right now. As joyous of an occasion as it should have been, all he could feel was sadness. Sora leaned over the railing, watching the blurry city lights below.

Kairi was pregnant…

He knew exactly when it happened, too. How careless, he thought. He allowed himself to get caught up in the moment, and this was the result.

Just like Kairi, Xion was terrified when she found out. Sora assured her that everything would be fine and immediately took responsibility. He couldn't wait to be a father. Finally, he could have the family he always wanted. He could give his child the attention he or she deserved, not bury himself in work all the time. He wouldn't isolate his wife and would help her as much as he could. He would provide a stable and nurturing home, not one that he dreaded to go back to.

And then, that dream was shattered. Sora should have known better than to think he deserved such a thing. Now, it was happening all over again. Even if the pregnancy was successful, that didn't guarantee a happy life. Yes, Kairi was a sweet girl and he cared so much for her, but the incredible amount of uncertainty that came along with it was too much to handle in that moment. Starting a family with her? It hadn't even crossed his mind, and understandably so.

Not only that, but he would have to give up so many things. He finally pieced his life back together, and now it had to change again? Right when things were going so well? His apartment, everything he worked for…

As much as Sora knew he was partly to blame in this, he didn't want to accept it just yet.

On the flipside, if she decided not to keep it…

The door slid open, and Roxas stepped outside. "Dude, what the hell are you doing?"

Sora glanced back at him. "Uh, sorry. I just need a minute to process—"

"I'm not going to let you just walk out on her like that!" Roxas yelled. Sora grit his teeth. "What's Kairi supposed to do? Sit around and wait for you to make up your mind? Get back in there and talk it out! Don't run away like a little-"

"Shut up!"

Even though he knew Roxas was right, it didn't help. Sora took a deep breath, desperately trying to pull himself together. This wasn't like him. Why did it have to hurt so much? Why couldn't he just forget?

No, the past was the past. Kairi was not her. This would not tear them apart…

Roxas stood beside him. "Listen, man, I'm sure you know her feelings on abandonment and all, and right now, that's what it looks like to her."

"I'm not abandoning her," Sora said sternly. Roxas would never understand, and he saw no point discussing this any further. Annoyed, Roxas went back inside. Sora didn't budge.

This was too much, too fast…

o-o-o

Namine stayed with Kairi until Sora got back. He shut the door as quietly as he could and stood there.

"Kairi, I'm gonna head out. Sora's here. Call me in the morning, okay?"

Kairi nodded and glanced at Sora. He waited for Namine to leave before heading over to her bedside. Leaving her like that without any explanation, even for half an hour, was a real jerk move. Still, he couldn't tell her why. All he wanted to do was apologize.

"Kairi, I'm—"

"Please don't talk to me right now," she chimed.

Okay, that was fair, but eventually they would need to discuss this. Sora sat down, letting out a huge sigh. What were they going to do?

Kairi studied his face. He was clearly distressed about it. Who wouldn't be? They never thought this would happen, especially so soon. On top of that, they'd only been dating for a little less than two months. Could she really expect him to drop everything and take care of a child?

Regardless, she needed to decide what she wanted to do. Keep it, and put her life on an indefinite hold, or…

She felt terrible to even consider the other option, but she didn't have choice. If Sora didn't want this… if he left…

She didn't want her future children to grow up without a father in their life, or at least a male role model. Maybe others could do without, but Kairi hated the thought. Feeling unwanted, feeling like you're not normal or good enough, she knew all too well. As much as she wanted to believe that Sora would stay, she had to be realistic. Maybe he would stick around for a little while, but what if it became too much? A child would put such a strain on the relationship.

Kairi didn't want that. It wouldn't be fair to either of them to force the scenario.

Still, she needed to know his thoughts on the matter. Although it was ultimately her decision, she did want to take his feelings into account. It was a lot to process, and she wanted to be sure no matter which direction she took.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. Not sick at least."

Sora crossed his arms and slouched in his chair. "Kairi, again, I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to think right now."

Was this really the best time to talk about it? They were both high-strung with emotion, and thinking rationally may not have been entirely possible. In her heart, she had a feeling she knew what to do, but she didn't want to be selfish.

They needed to talk now.

"What do you want to do, Sora?"

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Should we really go through with this? We have an option not to, you know…" Kairi clenched the sheets. She hated to even consider termination.

"I don't know, Kairi. It's not my call."

"But you're every bit a part of this."

"I am, but you're the one that has to deal with the pregnancy. If you don't want to put up with it, I'll…" Sora hesitated, "I'll understand."

Kairi's eyes lowered. "But what do _you_ want?"

"Again, this is not—"

"Damn it, Sora!"

She didn't mean to snap at him, but she was exhausted. She felt like an idiot, and she knew that everyone would be so disappointed in her. She didn't have the means to support a child. No matter how she looked at it, it just wasn't the right time. On the verge of tears, Kairi stared at the ceiling. She had a way out, but would she regret it? Would Sora hate her for it? The only way to know was to ask.

"Sorry," she said, sniffling.

"It's okay." Sora sighed once more. "I'd be lying if I said I was thrilled about this." That hurt a little, but she appreciated his honesty. "I know it seems like I'm putting all this on you, but I really don't want you to think that you have to choose a certain way to appease me. I want you to be comfortable with whatever you decide, and I will support you. I told you, Kairi, I didn't start dating you just to pass the time or whatever. I really like you a lot, and I want us to be able to make tough decisions together, even if we haven't been together long."

That sounded good and all, but Kairi had her doubts. "Can you afford to take care of a child? I certainly can't…"

"I would have to move into a cheaper apartment and make a few other lifestyle changes. I probably could, but I would feel bad because I would be working all the time. You know what my schedule is like, and until I move higher in the ranks, I won't have much control over it. The bills would be taken care of, but it wouldn't be fair if you're stuck with the child all the time."

Could Kairi really handle that? She liked her independence, and taking care of a child twenty-four hours a day would be so stressful. Sora would probably be way too tired after a long day at work, and a crying baby would not help.

"As far as school goes, it almost would be pointless to continue. Around the time I finish the program, I'll be having a baby. Who would hire a new mother?" Kairi whined.

"What's more important to you?" Sora asked. "Finishing school or starting a family?"

With each word, it hurt him even more. Maybe back then, his optimism spoke for him, but now? Now it just sounded like such a hassle that neither of them were the least bit prepared for. Deep down, he knew he didn't want it, but was it just fear?

"I want to finish school. I want to work at a place I really love, and not have to worry much. A baby would just throw off everything. I would never make it…"

"Kinda sounds like the answer is obvious, Kairi."

She gave him a worried look. Was this really what she wanted? Could she live with herself if she went through with it?

"I think you should take a few days. That way, you can consider all your options. Besides, you look tired as hell," Sora suggested. He needed a little longer to process himself, and the sleep deprivation didn't help.

Kari nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

No matter what she decided, nothing would ever be the same between them.

o-o-o-o

Xion couldn't believe what was happening.

Camera lights flashed in her face. A million questions were being thrown out at once, but she didn't respond to any of them. Seifer tightened his grip on her shoulder, all while maintaining a confident grin.

"Senator, why did your wife leave home for such a long period of time?"

"She shouldn't be anywhere near the child! She left him by himself for hours!"

"Why isn't her last name the same as yours?"

Seifer threw up one hand and tried to calm the crowd. "This is all a huge misunderstanding. My wife would never leave our child alone. She was on a much-needed vacation, and I couldn't come due to work related reasons. I wanted my wife and child to enjoy themselves. Now then, if you don't mind, we're going to home."

"Senator Almasy!" a reporter called out, but he just flashed another smile. Xion nearly tripped as he pulled her away from the crowd. Everything was a blur.

Seifer managed to get her charges dropped somehow. Nothing made sense in that moment.

A limousine was waiting at the end of the street. The cameras were sure to follow as the popular senator escorted her to the car, but they were blocked off by his two bodyguards.

"After you, sweetheart," Seifer said, gesturing for her to get into the back of the limo. She knew Seifer was trying to save face, but she was already under enough scrutiny. Their driver buckled Jin into his car seat. He looked confused and like he was about to cry. Xion had no choice but to get inside. She noticed some folded up clothes on the seat, and she knew exactly what was about to happen.

Seifer sent one last wave to the crowd and then got into the car. Once the door shut, the entire atmosphere changed once again. He made a swiping gesture to the driver, and the screen door up front closed, giving them more privacy.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get changed."

"Here?" she asked wearily, knowing the answer. She looked to Jin, who was happily distracted by a children's book he was given.

"Don't make me do it for you."

Xion exhaled deeply and reached for the blouse. As a senator's wife, she was already in enough trouble from being arrested. She felt literally trapped right now as she begrudgingly removed her shirt and threw it on. Seifer watching only demeaned her more, and she was so thankful that Jin was too young to understand or remember any of this.

He knew she hated wearing skirts.

Xion tucked her blouse in as best she could and crossed her legs together. She could feel his eyes burning holes in her back, and if Jin wasn't there then he certainly would have done more. She felt disgusting, but she had to keep calm for her son's sake.

"I thought I'd never find you two, but I should have known you would screw up eventually. What really kills me, though, is that you put our son through it all?" Seifer shook his head. "Xion, dear, it's time to stop playing games and come home. You know how bad this makes me look, don't you?"

"S-shut up," Xion snarled.

"That's no way to treat the man that just bailed you out of jail." Seifer smirked.

He was toying with her at this point. He knew exactly why she left.

Ten minutes later, the limo came to a stop. Residential buildings surrounded them, and Xion had no idea what was happening. Their driver came around and opened the door.

"Get out," Seifer demanded. "Blaine will stay with Jin."

She felt trapped. Thankfully, there weren't any reporters around. Xion reluctantly got out of the car. Blaine took her place, shutting the door behind him. Xion followed Seifer to the door of the brick building, where they were met by a black-haired man in a suit.

"Nice to see you," Seifer said as they went inside. Xion kept her mouth shut. It was like a miniature apartment, with nothing but a table and a few chairs. Xion felt more uncomfortable with each step, wondering what in the world she was walking into. Seifer forced her to sit down.

"Xion, this is Zack Fair. He's one of the top lawyers in Twilight Town."

"Lawyer?"

"Yes. I'm suing you for kidnapping my child, and I'm getting full custody."

Xion's jaw dropped. What the hell did he just say?!

"Unless," he continued, "you come home with me and we forget all about this. So, what's it going to be?"

Rendered speechless, Xion just stared at the floor in shock. She knew Seifer threatened this before, but he never actually went through with it. She ran away from home because he was a danger to her and Jin, and now her worst nightmare was coming true.

"You can't do this…"

"I can, and I will. But darling, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here. Come home with me, be a good wife, and we can just go about our lives. You get to be with your son, as long as you comply. Isn't that what you want?"

"You're an asshole… I won't let you take him from me!" Xion screamed, bolting for the door. However, before she could get outside, Seifer grabbed her by the arm, twisted it and forced her back against him. Xion yelped in pain, unable to break free.

"You don't want to do this, Xion. You're just making everything worse. I saved you a lawsuit, you know. That media was going to tear you apart. Fortunately for you, that doesn't look good on me, and I won't allow such a thing to happen. Now, you either shut up and come home, or I'll make you disappear."

She knew he meant it.

Seifer pushed her to the floor and towered over her. Tears streamed down her face, and she could barely move.

Getting Jin away from this evil man was the only thing on her mind. She had to… but she couldn't win like this. Tarnishing his reputation was the only way, but she didn't have the evidence. He battered her for years, yet she felt like she couldn't do anything about it.

 _'Jin, please wait for me…'_

When Seifer turned to talk with Zack, she grabbed the opportunity and ran out the door as fast as she possibly could. Instead of going for the limo, however, she darted in the opposite direction. Seifer yelled after her, but she didn't stop. Xion found a taxi a few streets over. She didn't have much money on her, but she at least had enough to make it downtown. She made sure Seifer was out of sight before jumping into the back seat.

"Take me to the Yamada Law Firm, please!" she said as she got in, practically throwing the money at the driver.

Going against Senator Seifer Amalsy was going to be tough, but Xion was determined to do anything for her son.

She just had to.

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

 _4/5/19_

 **A/N:** Aww, Sora doesn't think he deserves nice things.  
So, a little shorter chapter this time, but please, please leave a **review!** Reviews make me update faster, by the way :P


	12. twelve

**A/N:** I realized that Tidus as Seifer's lawyer wouldn't work considering he was in the first chapter as someone else, so, uh, Zack Fair will do. Hehe!

o-o-o-o

 **12.**

o-o-o

Seifer Almasy didn't like disobedience.

Frustrated, he had an idea as to where his wife was going. He received a tip from the private investigator he hired about Sora Yamada, her ex and recently appointed lawyer. He was the only person she seemed to know in town.

"Blaine," he said to the driver, "Go to the Yamada Law Firm downtown." Seifer looked over at Jin, who'd been crying for the last ten minutes. Seifer stroked the child's soft, black hair. "What did your stupid mother put you through? You've had a rough past few months. Don't worry, son, we'll be back home soon."

Why did he marry her in the first place? All she ever did was cause problems. She was fun at first; would do almost anything once, but ever since she got pregnant, it was as if she was a completely different person to him. If it weren't for Jin, he would have left her a long time ago. Unfortunately, divorce was frowned upon when you're a Senator. People watched you all the time, and image was the most important thing.

He grunted and looked out the window. Rumors had been flying around about her for several years now, and he was always able to sweep them under the rug. The people adored Jin, and have been begging to see him since before Xion ran away. Seifer was great at coming up with excuses, but enough was enough. Only so much time could pass before suspicions settled in.

What about an _accidental_ death?

He could have it done at the snap of a finger. She would meet an unfortunate demise, and he would be able to raise his son on his own. His status as a widowed single father could really do him some good. People pitied those that lost their spouses. Seifer couldn't help but contemplate the possibilities.

Either way, it was time to put her in her place.

o-o-o

Xion thanked the taxi driver and hurried up the stairs. The law firm was on the 3rd floor, and they just opened not long ago. The lobby already had a few people waiting, and they seemed to all be staring at her. Did they know who she was? Surely being all over the news with her asshole of a husband just two hours before didn't help. Shiki greeted her at the counter.

"Welcome to Yamada Law Firm, do you have an appointment?"

"I don't, but I really need to see Sora. Is he here?" Xion looked around desperately, still trying to catch her breath.

"No, I'm sorry, but he won't be in until Tuesday due to some personal matters. It's not like him to call out, so I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. I can make you an appointment for next week?"

"Damn it!" Xion slammed her first on the counter, causing Shiki to jump. She could hear them whispering behind her, only stressing her out more. "I'm a really good friend of his, and I seriously need his help…"

Okay, so they weren't exactly friends, but this girl didn't know that. She didn't have time for this. Her son was in danger. She would go to the police if she could, but…

"Xion? Is that you?" a voice asked behind her. Xion saw Shiki stand up and bow. Mr. Yamada stood there, perplexed. He hadn't changed much over the last five years or so, other than more grey in his hair.

"Mr. Yamada," she said nervously with a bow, "it's nice to see you. I'm sorry to cause a commotion; I came to see Sora. I'm having some legal troubles…" she realized that stating the obvious didn't help, but nevertheless, Mr. Yamada always intimidated her, even now.

Mr. Yamada looked to Shiki. "Where is he?"

"He called out about an hour ago, sir. Said there was an important personal matter that he had to attend to and that he'd be back on Tuesday."

Mr. Yamada didn't know what to think of that; it had not happened for years. Sora was always here and on time. What could have been so important? Regardless, seeing his son's ex-girlfriend at the law firm was puzzling enough.

"Xion, step with me into my office," he said, then headed down the hallway. Xion didn't want to be rude, so she followed him. There was no way she could afford him as a lawyer, and she highly doubted he would cut her the same deal Sora did.

Mr. Yamada definitely had the nicest office she'd ever seen. It was airy, filled with natural light from the window. There were red leather couches off to the left side of the room, complete with a dark wood coffee table between them. His certifications and awards lined the back wall, and to top it off, a bamboo plant flourished in the corner. His desk was huge, neatly organized and presentable. She sat in one of the cushioned chairs across from his desk.

"Would you like anything to drink?" he asked, pointing to the mini fridge off to her right. "There's water, soda, and I think even some orange juice in there."

"No, thank you. Listen, sir, I…"

"So, you're hanging around my son again, huh?"

Thrown off by his question, Xion shook her head. "No, not really. I've just run into some trouble recently, and he said he would help me. It took a lot of convincing on his part, though. He didn't want to at first, which I completely understood."

"I saw the news report," he said. Xion lowered her head. Should she tell him what was going on? Right now she was desperate, and no offense to Sora, but he had a lot more experience. "So, you're married to Seifer Almasy?"

Xion nearly gagged at the name. "Unfortunately. We have a son together, but…"

That was it. She needed help, and she didn't care who heard it at this point.

"How did that come about?" Mr. Yamada was genuinely curious.

"I don't feel comfortable discussing those details. I'm sorry."

Mr. Yamada leaned back in his chair, watching her carefully. He was great at catching someone in a lie. He wasn't too fond of Xion back then, and now she just seemed worse off than before. It was a pity, really. He figured she had a chance to get herself together.

In fact, he remembered attending a high-profile banquet in Twilight Town. He was representing someone else at the time, and was invited as an honored guest. She and Seifer were both in attendance, and she was in the middle of her pregnancy. Mr. Yamada was rather surprised to see her, especially with such a respected man. He'd talked with Seifer on occasion, but Xion was never around when he did.

"Just so we're clear, this is not a session. I am neutral in the matter. Seeing that I am the sole owner of this firm, I like to know what my employees, especially my own son, are working on. What kind of cases, how things are going, the usual. I have that right. Details that are sensitive to our client's cases, I am not in on due to the confidentiality our firm provides. But this is a different matter, Xion. You see, Sora didn't inform me that he would be working with you, which all of my associates are supposed to do. They send me a brief summary with the conditions of the agreement between lawyer and client, and I approve or deny."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get Sora in trouble. I just didn't know who else to trust." Xion knew that Sora and his father weren't exactly close. "I have to get going. My son needs me."

If Sora wasn't here, she could probably find him at his apartment. She hated to do it, especially when he seemed to be going through some things of his own, but Jin couldn't wait. If she had to, she would find a way to steal him back herself. Xion bowed to Mr. Yamada once more, and then left.

She wanted to cry on her way down the stairs, but the tears wouldn't come. All she could feel was a mix of anger and sadness, but she forced herself to keep going. She pictured Jin's cute little laugh and his beady, blue eyes lighting up at the sight of her. He meant everything, and without Jin she was nothing. Xion took a deep breath and balled her fists as she came to the first-floor entrance but stopped in front of the doorway. A black limo was parked off to the side, just close enough that she could see. Xion gasped and moved out of sight. He was here. He knew she would be here and he followed her…

In a panic, Xion noticed that there was a back door. Did he have someone waiting there, too? She could just see it now; someone would abduct her and that would be the end of it. Just as she was nearing it, she heard her name once again.

"Xion? It's me, Pence!"

Pence? Sora's friend and colleague? And the girl from the reception desk was with him, holding two coffees. Xion chuckled nervously, keeping her eye on the door and trying to stay out of sight.

Opportunity.

"H-Hello! Yes, it's me, how are you?" Xion didn't give him a chance to respond. "That's great, hey, listen, can you two help me out real quick?"

Shiki and Pence exchanged weird looks. "Sure?" Shiki said, still a little uneasy about her. She didn't like the scene she caused upstairs.

"See that limo out there? It's waiting for me, but I don't want to go. I can't explain much, but I need to get out of here without the people in that limo seeing me. Is there another way out of the building?"

"Yeah, there's an employee exit, but you have to go back up to the second floor, cross into the next building over and then back down again. You'll come out on the street around the corner. We can take you there," Pence said, flashing his badge. "But, um, are you in danger? Do we need to call the police?"

"No need to call the police. I just need to get out of here…"

"I have to get back," Shiki said, "but like Pence said, he'll take you." Shiki went on her way.

"Thank you so much," Xion said, following Pence back upstairs. As they crossed over into the other building, Xion looked down through the glass windows. Blaine was smoking a cigarette outside of the passenger door, just waiting for her. Xion gulped and caught up to Pence.

"It's been so long. I remember the three of us going to bars every now and then."

"Yeah, it was fun at the time."

"Sorry about Shiki. She's kinda stand-offish around new folks," Pence said.

"I didn't leave the greatest impression on her earlier. Hey, any idea what's going on with Sora?"

"Not a clue. He hasn't called out in at least three years, so it must be something really bad."

This made Xion worry a little; she almost didn't want to impose. Pence led her down to the side building exit, and she made sure the coast was clear. "Thanks again, Pence."

"Sure thing. Be careful out there. Hey, why don't I give you my number?" Pence handed her a card. "If you need anything else and Sora's not around, don't hesitate to call."

"Okay," Xion replied, and for the first time in what felt like forever, cracked a smile.

o-o-o

Sora sat next to Kairi in the abortion clinic. She was staring blankly at the forms in front of her, trying to muster the strength to write.

Was this really the answer?

"You alright?" Sora whispered, putting his arm around her. He didn't like this at all, but it was her decision. Personally, he felt like they could figure something out if she decided to keep the baby. It only took her one day to come to this conclusion.

He still wasn't over it. The chance of a miscarriage scared him.

At the same time, maybe it was for the best. He had his life together for the most part; he was finally back on track. He loved his apartment and his freedom. He didn't want them to grow apart if anything were to happen. This had to be something they both wanted, and right now just didn't seem like the right time.

Kairi wrote her first name in the box provided but couldn't bring herself to continue. She felt horrible for this. There were so many cons if she didn't go through with the abortion, but yet she was still holding onto something. The fact that Sora was here with her really helped, but she couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. She felt selfish, not only to him but to the unborn child. If she were to do this, it wouldn't even have a chance to live. She would be killing this fetus, and she would have to live with it for the rest of her life knowing it was her choice, all because she didn't feel confident. It may have just been a collection of cells right now, but she didn't care. It wasn't political, and she definitely would not judge anyone else for doing it, but for Kairi, she just didn't have it in her.

Telling her mother and grandmother about the pregnancy was too much to bear. Kairi had no idea how they would react, but disappointment would be on the top of the list. They would probably end up hating Sora, the one guy she'd ever really liked and was happy with.

Why was this so hard?! There was no guarantee on her future, be it her career, her love life, or anything else for that matter. The unknown was terrifying. She didn't know the first thing about children. Could she really be a good mother?

But yet, she couldn't write anymore.

Maybe it would be okay. She never even considered having a child, especially not with Sora. What would the child be like? Playful and inquisitive? Will he or she like sports, or take up dance lessons? What sort of foods will they like? Will they make a lot of friends? Would they be closer to her, or will Sora steal the spotlight? Judging how great he was around Riku's kids, she could just see it now: this child would absolutely adore him, and vice versa.

It was a cute thought, really. No matter which way she looked at it, she could see Sora being a great father.

But did he _really_ want to? That fear of him leaving her all alone certainly played a part in all this. Kairi looked back at the paper, and then set her pen down.

"Sora, I…" she started, "I don't think I can do this."

He rubbed her back. There was nothing more he could say at this point. All Sora could do was be there for her.

Kairi scribbled over her name and returned the forms to the front desk without a word. She hurried out of the clinic, wiping the tears from her eyes. Sora caught up to her, taking her hand in his.

"I'm sorry for dragging you here with me and wasting your time. I know you're very busy."

"Kairi, it's okay. I called out. I wasn't going to let you do this alone."

Kairi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to pull herself together. This meant that she was keeping it, and now she had to figure out what to do about it. They both did. Sora hugged her tightly as she cried.

She might as well rip the band aid off and tell her mother and grandmother. The longer she waited, the more stress it would bring, and the angrier they'll be.

"Let's go to my mom's. I can't hide this from her."

"W-wait a minute," Sora said, now even more nervous. "Let's calm down first. This is like one extreme to another. Your mom hasn't even met me. That sounds like a great first impression. _Hi, Ms. Hikari, yes, I'm Sora. Nice to meet you. Also, Kairi is carrying my child."_

"How do you think I feel about meeting your parents?"

"Do we have to get married now?" Sora groaned.

"You're making this so much worse!"

"Sorry, I'm only halfway joking…" Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Um, okay. I guess… but isn't she working? Why don't we wait until tonight? That will give us both some time to chill out."

He had a point. Kairi sighed and started walking in the direction of the park. "I'll send her a text." A few minutes went by, and neither of them said anything. Kairi felt so guilty for even stepping foot into that office and planned to keep it a secret from this child forever. If her mother ever considered aborting her, that would hurt so much. Her father walking out on them was bad enough.

Which made Kairi really wonder about Sora. How was he so supportive? Sure, they knew of each other most of their lives, and only got to know each recently, but for him to be by her side even at the abortion clinic? Most of the girls in there were either with their mothers or by themselves, and here she was, fortunate as can be. A mix of appreciation and sorrow tormented her, and she wasn't sure what to even say to him.

"Thank you," she muttered, and he almost didn't hear her. Sora tightened his grip on her hand.

"I know it's not easy. Look at me, I'm sweating over here," Sora said, wiping his face. "We just went from not having a baby to… having one." They found a secluded bench and sat down.

"I guess I should figure out which doctor to see and all that."

"Let's think about that later. We just need—" Sora paused when his phone buzzed in his pocket. "Great, it's my dad. I thought he would call sooner than this."

"I hate that you had to miss work for me."

Sora shook his head but then answered his phone. "Hey, Dad."

"Son, what's going on?" His calm demeanor threw Sora off a little. He looked to Kairi. There was no way he could tell his dad anything right now, especially not without some game plan.

"Just some personal things, but don't worry, I'm working it out."

"What sort of personal things are more important than your job?"

"I can think of a few," Sora said, now with a little irritation in his voice.

"Anyway, your ex-girlfriend was here."

"What?"

"We'll need to talk about this later. You'd better be back on Tuesday. I know this barely happens, but I really hope your priorities are in the right place."

Sora cringed at the thought of Xion showing up at his workplace. That meant she got out of jail somehow, and she was probably looking for him.

"I'll be there. You don't have to worry. Shiki already called my clients and rescheduled. You know, you really should give that girl a raise."

Mr. Yamada scoffed and hung up.

Great, now he had more things to worry about. He never had the chance to tell Kairi about her, either.

Might as well get it over with. It may not have been the best time, but he couldn't think of a better one at this point.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, but of course we got caught up in all this."

"Something bad?" Kairi asked, confused at the sudden change of subject.

"Well, depends on how you take it."

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean."

Sora sighed. "You know those news reports about that woman that left her child alone at a hotel?"

"I saw a headline about it, but I didn't have a chance to read it."

Great, Sora didn't want to explain more than he had to. "Um, well, I kinda know her. She's my ex-girlfriend."

"Okay…" Kairi wasn't sure if she could handle such a sensitive topic right now. She was already a mess.

"Before you say anything, I swear it's not my child. I haven't talked to her in years, and things didn't exactly end on good terms. But she came to me and begged me to help her with some legal matters, starting with that incident at the hotel. I didn't want to at first, but… to be honest, I felt bad for her. Some things happened back then between us and…" Sora couldn't finish his sentence. This was the worst time to talk about this, he realized, and he was only getting deeper into the hole.

"What things?" Kairi crooned, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Given our current situation, I really hate to bring this up. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, if I was even thinking."

"You can tell me, Sora. You freaked out at the hospital for a reason. You at least owe me an explanation for that, and I feel like this connects."

"Yeah, it does. Again, I'm sorry for running out on you like that. Honestly, you being pregnant scares me to death. Xion and I were together for about two years, and in the second year, she got pregnant too, but… she lost the baby."

Kairi hadn't even considered that aspect of it yet, and it made her even more emotional. But it was good to know why Sora nearly left her, at least.

"It killed me when it happened. Our relationship was already bad to begin with, but this really caused a drift between us. She ended up cheating on me and that was that, but I don't think I ever fully recovered from losing that child. She was five months along, and we just got new ultrasound pictures. Everything was falling into place, plans for the future were made…"

"Yet you came with me to the abortion clinic? Gosh, now I feel even worse…"

Sora wrapped his arms around her. "No, no, please don't feel bad. I am choosing to be by your side, no matter how much it hurts me. I can't let what happened then get in the way. You are not her, and our relationship is so much better. She and I fought all the time over trivial things. She was irrational and brought out the worst in me. You're the complete opposite, Kairi. You seriously make me happy."

Kairi nodded, trying to hold back her tears. Pregnancy sure did escalate her emotions. "So, why are you helping her now?"

"I saw that kid of hers. She said he was in danger, and it felt unfair for him. There are circumstances that prevent her from going to the police, and she tells me that her husband is a horrible person. It took me a while to believe anything that came out of her mouth, please understand that. I guess I just have a weakness for children, and since we went through that miscarriage back then, I know that boy means the world to her."

Kairi still wasn't sure how to feel about all this.

"So what happens to us if, God forbid, I lose this child?"

Sora gulped, unable to look her in the eye. "I don't know, but I hope we can get through it no matter what."

Although the timing wasn't great, Sora actually felt a little better after telling her this. He hated hiding things from her, and hoped they could have an honest and open relationship, something he wasn't quite used to. He hoped Kairi could trust him just as much as he trusted her, and was optimistic that they could make this work.

"You seem to be looking for approval of some sort. Okay, so she's your ex-girlfriend and she has a child. I'm a little confused, though, and maybe it's just because I'm not understanding the intensity of the situation, but why do you feel like you owe it to her to help her out when it has nothing to do with you?" Kairi asked.

"Because that's my job, Kairi. I help people. I hate it when children are stuck in situations they can't do anything about, and if I can do my part to make their lives better, I will do everything I can. I just happen to have a history with this woman, and I wanted to let you know because I didn't want any secrets between us."

"In other words, it doesn't matter whether I approve or not because you want to help this child?"

Sora blinked several times. "That's not what I'm saying. If you don't want me to do this, I'll opt out. You're way more important to me."

"I don't want to be selfish, Sora. Do whatever you think is right." Kairi shut her eyes and took in a deep breath. Sora talking about an ex-girlfriend did not ease her anxiety. She tried to understand his reasoning behind it, but it only brought on more terrible thoughts.

She wanted to trust him; she really did. But the fear of him leaving trumped all, and she didn't know how to handle it.

o-o-o-o  
o-o-o-o

7/9/2019  
 **A/N:** Phew. It's done. Some developments going on here, as well as tying Pence and Shiki into the mix even more! I would say this is about the halfway point of the fic.

Leave a review if you wish. So sorry for the long time between updates! 


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